One Night
by neko-hanyou22
Summary: Kagome's life was all planned out for her. She's graduated high school. Now it's time to marry her long-time fiance, go to college, and start their life together. She never planned to stray from that plan. That's not what good girls do. But that all changes when she meets him. Everything changes in one night.
1. One Night of Freedom

**A/N: Hi guys! So this is actually a story that I posted way back in 2008 (I think) but never got beyond the 2****nd**** chapter with. I unfortunately had a bad experience with a lot of my stories being stolen when I wasn't updating fast enough and abandoned my account all together. Now I'm back! My old account was neko-hanyou12, but since it was so long ago, I no longer remember the password or the email I had used on the account! So I will be slowly editing and re-posting all of my old stories and working on some new ones! Hope you guys enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own the Inuyasha gang. These amazing characters belong to the talented Rumiko Takahashi. The only character's I own are the twins, Shia and Saiya!**

**Warning: I know this is only the first chapter, but there is already a lemon in here. If you don't like lemons, then I suggest you turn right back around and forget this story. If you do like lemons, then by all means, read on.**

**Chapter 1: One Night Freedom**

"I am ready to party!" Sango yelled as she walked out of Shikon High School arm in arm with her two best friends, Kagome and Shia.

"Sango," Shia chuckled, "You're always ready to party, why is this time any different?"

"Cuz," Sango grinned, "We, my friends, are now high school grads and have a whole summer to party before college!"

"You and I may party, but our sweet little Kagome? I don't think so."

Kagome blushed, "Sorry if I can't degrade myself by dressing in skimpy outfits and dancing all night long with random guys whose names I never bother to even learn, but I have a fiancée. I'm spoken for." At that exact moment, Koga Ookami raced out of the building, scanning the crowd of bubbling graduates for his woman. The wolf demon smiled once he caught sight of her and made his way through the crowd to wrap his tanned arms around her waist.

"Hey, Gorgeous," Koga smiled, "You wanna go? I thought we could go celebrate! My girl, the Valedictorian!"

"Sorry, Ookami," Shia grinned, "but Kaggies already has plans with us! Maybe some other time!" Koga's eyes narrowed. He didn't like Shia and hadn't since he first started dating Kagome in eighth grade. The psychopathic, pink-haired, pixie didn't know her place and lived to stick her nose in business that Koga believed didn't concern her.

"Why don't you stay out of this, Sakemotou," Koga growled as he pulled Kagome closer to him.

"Koga, sweetie," Kagome pleaded, "We wanted to have a girl's night out tonight to celebrate the beginning of summer. Can I please go tonight? We can spend the whole day tomorrow together!" Koga groaned but nodded his head. He gave Kagome a small peck andglared at the triumphant Sango and Shia, before walking off in search of his fellow football teammates.

"I don't know what you see in that wolf," Shia told Kagome in disgust as the three friends continued their walk to Shia's yellow VW bug.

"Same here," Sango agreed.

"Well I don't know why you don't like Koga!" Kagome defended, "He's sweet and caring! Sure he's a little controlling and possessive, but that's just how he shows he cares!"

"Whatever," Kagome's two friends replied in unison in response to the introduction to the pro-Koga speech they had been forced to listen to for five years now.

"You know what?" Sango grinned as she threw her black cap and gown into the back seat of the car, "Let's forget about Koga and every other guy we know and just let loose and party! We said we'd have a girls night so damnitt, we're gonna!"

"I second that!" Shia yelled while Kagome blushed from the crowd's attention that was being drawn to them due to her insane friends' shouting.

"Fine, sure, can we just get home before we start to 'let loose'?"

Sango rolled her warm brown eyes while Shia giggled. The three girls left the parking lot of their high school for the last time and sped off to the Higurashi Shrine. Once at Kagome's house they were bombarded by a still crying Mrs. Higurashi.

"They ceremony was so beautiful! I'm so proud of my baby girl! I'm proud of all you girls," Kagome's mom exclaimed as she wrapped all three of the girls in a huge hug.

"Thanks, Mom," Kagome smiled as she kissed her mom on the cheek.

Mrs. Higurashi released them and looked at the girl's with a puzzled expression.

"Where is Saiya? He didn't come home with you?"

"He went out with some of his guy friends," Shia answered about her twin brother, "We wanted to have a girl's night out!"

"Good for you! You girls deserve it!" Mrs. Higurashi smiled as she walked back into the house and into the kitchen to start working on dinner for the rest of the family.

The girl's followed closely behind, then made it up the stairs and into Kagome's room to get ready for the night.

"Damn I look good!" Shia exclaimed as she twirled around in her outfit in Kagome's bedroom.

The girl's had been getting ready for about two hours and had finally decided they were ready.

Shia had added blue extensions in her bubblegum pink pixie cut hair. She wore a short silver sparkly skirt with a blue lace covered tank top that matched her extensions. She had bangle bracelets going up each arm and wore a pair silver flats to complete the look.

Sango wore a pair of tight black leather pants decked out in silver chains. For a shirt she wore a pink skin tight corset with black rose design all over it. She wore her long dark brown hair up in it's usual ponytail and her eyes were dusted with a pink eye shadow.

"Kagome, get your butt out here now!" Shia banged on the door to the bathroom that connected to Kagome's room and that the shy girl was currently hiding behind.

"No! I look like a street walker in this outfit!" She whined from behind the door, "I hate you guys!"

"Come on, Kagome, you promised!" Shia cried.

"That was before you gave me this outfit to put on!"

"Kagome, out, NOW!" Sango ordered.

Slowly the door opened to reveal a shifting and blushing Kagome.

"Kags, you look hot!" Shia applauded and Sango nodded her head in agreement.

Kagome stood there with her raven hair falling past her shoulders in waves. Her eyes were dusted with a dark shadow. She wore a tight black leather skirt covered in zippers. She had on a white corset that matched Sango's except it had red roses instead of black. She had on a pair of black strappy sandals decked out with red rhinestones.

"I look so cheap!"

"No, you don't! You look hot!" Sango said.

"But what if Koga finds out?!" She screeched.

"Girl, you are going to sadly be spending the rest of your life with Koga! So before that, how about you have one night just to forget everything and have fun?" Shia asked as she grabbed her purse.

Kagome paused, thinking it over. No one but the three of them would know about it, so what was the harm? And she had always wanted to do something daring, something so unlike herself.

"Alright, let's do it," Kagome agreed as she slipped on a light sweater, "But if you tell anyone about this night, then I'm going to purify both your asses!"

"Deal," the two girls laughed as they grabbed Kagome and skipped down the stairs and out to the car.

"So where are we going?" Kagome asked as Shia pulled up to a red light.

"This new club called Shikon," Shia replied as she took a sharp right and zoomed down the busy streets of Tokyo.

"Hey, isn't that the new club that is said to be owned by the White Dog gang?" Sango asked as she tampered with the AC.

"WHAT?" Kagome screeched.

"Way to go, taijiya," Shia hissed before turning her attention to Kagome, "Kags don't worry the club is perfectly safe and it's just a rumor!"

Kagome frowned, but didn't argue. She just prayed to the kami's that it was all just a rumor. The car was silent as they drove and Kagome couldn't help but shiver. Her miko senses were on full alert as always and she couldn't help but feel as if something big was going to happen tonight. However, she couldn't tell if it would be for better or for worse.

'Oh well,' she thought with a shrug, 'We'll see.'

"Yasha, man, this club was a brilliant idea," A dark haired young man said as he lounged on one of the couches on the VIP floor of the Shikon club.

"Keh, of course it was. It was MY idea after all," the other man grinned, his fangs glinting in the dim lighting.

"I see you've had your share of humble pie," the dark haired friend replied sarcastically.

"Humble isn't a Takahashi trait," Inuyasha smirked.

"I can see that," Inuyasha's companion, Miroku, responded before grinning and changing the subject, "I'm gonna go down to the bar and get a beer and maybe check the place out for ladies. Want anything?"

"A beer, letch," Inuyasha answered before his friend walked down the stairs to the lower level.

"Two beers, Hiten," Miroku told the bartender as he scanned the crowd.

"Comin' right up," the lightning demon replied as he finished mixing the drinks he had been working on before going to grab the two beers.

"Thanks," Miroku said as he grabbed the two beers.

He was about to go back up the stairs when his eyes caught a group of girls at the door. He smiled and his heart jumped. There at the entryway were three beautiful young ladies.

'Tonight should be fun,' he grinned as he made his way toward the girls.

"This place is so cool!" Shia exclaimed as they walked into the club.

"Definitely," Sango agreed as she bopped her head in time with the music.

Kagome stood silent and took the whole scene in. The place was relatively dark, with a few colored lights illuminating the bar, dance floor, and tables. The dance floor was packed with sweating bodies all grinding and moving against each other to hypnotizing music.

'Alrighty,' She thought to herself as she wrapped her arms around herself to cover up, 'I've had about enough of this.'

"Well, hello, ladies," A young man a little older then the three of them came waltzing up carrying two beer bottles, "Don't you three look lovely this evening."

Shia giggled while Sango rolled her eyes.

"Please, can you get any cornier?"

"You wound me, fair maiden," the man looked hurt, "And I was going to invite you and your friends up to the VIP lounge."

Shia's eyes glittered.

"Don't worry, Sango was just kidding," the bubbly girl exclaimed, "We'd love to go up to the VIP lounge with you!"

"Perfect! As long as the beautiful Sango will dance with me," he said as he took Sango's hand in his own and kissed it.

Sango blushed and pulled her hand away.

"Fine," Sango sighed, "but only if you get us up there."

"Follow me."

As the three girls followed the man into the crowd, Kagome grabbed Sango's hand to get her attention.

"Sango, we don't even know him!"

"Kagome, I thought you wanted to break free from your goody two-shoes reputation for tonight! This will do it! Besides, we'll all be together! So don't worry, I'll take care of you, sister!"

The two girls went quiet when they made it to the top of the stairs to the VIP area. It was far less crowded then the first floor, with plenty of room for couches and for people to just hang out. They followed the man to one couch in particular in the far corner. The occupant of the couch seemed to be highly regarded by everyone else on the floor. They seemed to all be watching him for approval. Each pair of eyes that watched him, Kagome couldn't help but notice, held fear as well.

"Ladies, my name is Miroku Hoshi and this is my best friend and owner of the Shikon Club, Inuyasha Takahashi," Miroku announced as he turned to the ladies and sat down on the couch.

Inuyasha paid them no heed and just grabbed the beer Miroku handed him.

"Well, I'm Shia," Shia smiled, "You already know Sango and this innocent, shy little thing, is Kagome!"

The comment Shia made about the last girl drew his attention and he lifted his head to see this shy and innocent girl. What he saw took his breath away, something no woman had ever done before.

Kagome was an angel, with raven hair framing her angelic face in a halo of waves. Her skin was a pale porcelain color that glowed in the dim lighting. Her eyes were a stunning cerulean blue. She was short, with soft feminine curves that he just knew would mold to his.

Inuyasha's inner demon hummed with pleasure.

'_Mate,' his youkai growled._

Inuyasha's eyes widened from this realization. He was not shy to women, he had casually dated and fucked numerous women. So why was this little slip of girl the one that was affecting him above all else?

'She really is my mate,' he thought in amazement.

He smirked as he looked her up and down. The hanyou stood up and moved to stand right beside her.

"Hello, Kagome," he smirked, loving the way her name rolled off his tongue.

Kagome shivered as Inuyasha's voice caressed her skin.

"He…hello," she responded, her voice squeaking.

The man smirked and her knees nearly buckled. He had fangs! Kagome watched as they caught the light and she couldn't help but feel completely turned on by it. She looked him up and down and she felt her heart flutter. He wore a red under armor shirt that molded to his muscles perfectly. He wore black jeans and black boots. His hair was a bright silver that went down to his waist.

His eyes were a deep gold color that seemed to burn into her own. Atop his head were two small doggy ears and Kagome couldn't help but swoon. Her miko senses told her that he had some human blood in him as well as inu youkai, he was a half demon. She met his golden eyes again and couldn't help but blush when she noticed that he was looking her up and down as well.

"Dance with me," Inuyasha whispered to her alone.

She should have protested, she was an engaged woman after all. She had a wonderful life laid out before her. A long happy marriage with Koga, the man she had been in love with since the 8th grade.

So why did she nod her head and allow the hanyou to lead her onto the dance floor? Why did she shiver in pleasure when he placed his large clawed hands on her hip? And most of all, why did she wrap her hands around his neck and move her body closer to his in a sinful dance?

"You don't have to be afraid," Inuyasha said in her ear as he moved one hand to rest on the small of her back. Kagome moved her head up to look up at him, shocked. Shaking her head, she smiled at him.

"You're very perceptive," She told him.

"I'm a hanyou," Inuyasha grinned, "It comes with the title."

Kagome giggled, pleasing Inuyasha to no end.

The two were silent as they continued to dance together. Kagome gasped as Inuyasha gently put his hand on the back of her neck and pulled her face closer to his.

"I'm going to kiss you now, Kagome," He whispered to her, giving her time to protest.

'NO!' she screamed in her head, knowing it was wrong.

"Please, kiss me, Inuyasha," she replied softly as she closed her eyes.

Inuyasha groaned from both hearing her say his name and from her request. He quickly took possession of her lips and time stopped. He clutched her closer to him and growled in pleasure. He coaxed her to part her lips and his tongue dived in, causing her to groan.

He pulled away to give her some air. Her small lips were swollen and her eyes were sparkling.

"Do you trust me, Kagome?"

"I do."

Sango stood up and went over to the balcony. She looked over the railing and her state of worriment only increased when she couldn't find Kagome or the strange hanyou she had gone to dance with.

"Shia, I can't find Kagome," she turned back to where Shia was flirting with some guy named Koji with a green Mohawk.

"She's a kick ass miko, Sang," Shia giggled from the twelve shots she had downed in the last hour, "she can take care of herself!"

Sango sighed, but didn't complain. In her alcohol-induced mind, Shia was right.

"How about we dance, my love," Miroku asked her as he took her hands.

In the past hour, Miroku had groped her numerous times (earning a few slaps) and came to the decision that he was in love with her and they were meant to be together.

Sango nodded, putting her worries about her best friend in the far back of her head.

"Wow," Kagome sighed, "this is your car?"

"Yep," Inuyasha opened the passenger door to his red Jaguar XKR and allowing her to enter the car.

He felt himself growing hard as he watched Kagome's skirt rise over her creamy legs as she got into the seat of the car. He closed the door and with demonic speed he raced to the other side of the car and jumped in.

In a flash, he grabbed Kagome and pulled her to him to crash her lips against his. Kagome pulled on his t-shirt to draw him closer to her. This time, she took the initiative and delved her tongue into his mouth.

They both shivered when Kagome lightly brushed her tongue over one of his fangs. She jumped lightly when she cut her tongue but soon broke out into moans when Inuyasha sucked on her tongue to nurse the wound.

"I want you," Inuyasha groaned into her hair.

Kagome smiled, "then start the damn car."

Inuyasha grinned and put the key in ignition before speeding off towards his penthouse apartment. They reached a large skyscraper and Inuyasha stopped the car and went to open the car door for Kagome.

He tossed the keys to a valet and wrapped his arm around Kagome's waist, making his way to the large doors.

"Good evening, Mr. Takahashi," the doorman smiled as he opened the door for the couple.

"Hojo," Inuyasha nodded, never taking his eyes off of Kagome.

Kagome blushed when she saw all the emotion in Inuyasha's eyes. She looked away to see a large lobby before Inuyasha led her to the elevators. Once in the elevator, Inuyasha pushed the button for the top floor.

He tapped his foot impatiently and pulled Kagome closer to him as he watched the numbers slowly go up.

"Someone's being an impatient puppy," Kagome giggled as she leaned up and began to nuzzle his neck.

"For the love of God, Kagome," Inuyasha moaned as he rubbed his thumb on her hip, lifting up her shirt so he could touch her smooth skin.

Finally, the elevator door opened and Inuyasha lifted Kagome to carry her bridal style into his large apartment.

"Is this really your house?" Kagome asked in awe as she looked around the large and expensive penthouse apartment.

"One of them," Inuyasha said as he nuzzled her neck and carried her to the bedroom.

'This is OUR house,' he thought to himself.

Kagome gasped as they entered his bedroom. One entire wall was made completely of windows and outside she saw a large balcony with a swimming pool.

"Wow."

Inuyasha grinned and placed Kagome on her feet, looking her seriously into her eyes.

"Are you sure about this, Kagome?" he asked, praying that she wouldn't reject him.

Kagome looked around her. What had she told herself earlier? She had wanted to let loose for one single night. Tonight was her night. Tonight she would shed her innocent book worm exterior. Tonight she would truly live, forgetting what her mind said and listen to her body and heart.

"I want you to be my first, Inuyasha," Kagome stood there, shifting from one foot to the other.

Inuyasha smiled and moved closer to stand before her. He leaned down to place light kisses along her neck. Slowly, he lifted her up and she instinctively wrapped her legs around his waist.

Their lips met in a heated kiss and they fell onto the bed. Inuyasha pulled back and looked into her cerulean blue eyes. His hair fell around them, cutting them off from the real world.

Inuyasha slowly lifted Kagome up so that he could attack the zipper on her corset. He threw it across the room and soon did the same with her bra.

Kagome squealed and covered her exposed breasts, causing Inuyasha to growl.

"Don't hide yourself from me. You're beautiful."

He pulled her hands away and held them together with one of his hands above her head. Inuyasha lowered his head and took one nipple in his mouth and began to swirl his tongue and lightly graze it with his teeth.

"Inuyasha," Kagome gasped as she closed her eyes in pleasure.

Inuyasha grinned and moved over to give her other breast the same attention. Within seconds he had Kagome clutching the sheets in sweet torture. He lifted his head to look into her lust filled blue eyes before taking her lips yet again with his own. Without breaking his lips away from hers, he attacked her skirt. He growled when his claws got caught around one of the chains on her skirt.

"Damn chains," Inuyasha growled as he attempted to shake the skirt off his hand.

Kagome broke out into a fit of laughter as she watched Inuyasha's brow furrow in frustration.

"Silly puppy," Kagome giggled as she helped untangle the chains and threw the skirt across the room, "Better?"

"Much," Inuyasha replied as he looked down at his angel.

Her smooth and creamy legs seemed to go on forever up to the pair of simple white panties covering the area where her beloved scent was the strongest.

"You are the most beautiful creature to ever walk this earth," Inuyasha growled as he ran his claws lightly up and down her thigh.

Kagome shivered from his touch while her heart sang from his words. No one had ever said something as sweet as that to her. Now she was beyond positive that she had made the right decision.

Kagome let out a light gasp when she felt Inuyasha tear away her underwear. She looked up and glared at him for ruining her underwear.

"Oops?" Inuyasha grinned, mischieviously.

Kagome giggled, "You owe me a new pair."

"Mmm…Deal," Inuyasha smirked before he lost his voice while looking her up and down.

He could feel himself almost throbbing in pain from the sight of the beautiful creature underneath him and was only brought out of his thoughts by the feather-light touch of Kagome's hand brushing along his biceps. Inuyasha groaned as her innocent hands moved to his toned abdomen as she slowly lifted his shirt. He quickly went to help her and tossed his shirt across the room. He shuddered when Kagome began to lightly trace the contours of his chest with her fingertips.

"Kagome," He moaned out as she slowly lifted her head to place kisses up and down his chest.

"I really want you, Inuyasha," Kagome whispered as her hands went to the zipper on his jeans.

Inuyasha growled and within second, his jeans and boxers were on the floor and he was back on top of Kagome. His breathing went heavy as he watched Kagome's innocent eyes take in all of him.

'That can't possibly fit!' Kagome shrieked in her head.

Inuyasha picked up on the fear leaking into the scent of her arousal.

"Kagome, we don't have to do this if you don't want to," Inuyasha told her calmly, "If you're not ready, I'll respect that."

Inuyasha watched her as she took in his words. He truly would wait for her, though his inner demon was dying to have his mate fully and wasn't exactly a patient being. Kagome thought about his words. He really was being so sweet. She truly believed that he would just let her back out and walk away, but she didn't want to do that. She wanted to give herself to this hanyou. She didn't know why, but no matter how much her mind told her it was wrong, her heart was screaming that it was right. She felt that this moment was destined to be.

'Why stop fate?' She thought to herself, no longer feeling fear.

"I am ready, Inuyasha," Kagome said with complete certainty.

Inuyasha nuzzled her cheek, he was so happy. Finally, after 22 years of being a social outcast, he was going to have a mate. He was going to have someone to love and cherish who would love him back. He crushed his lips to hers as he slowly entered her. She cringed as he broke her barrier, not expecting it to hurt quite so much. Inuyasha pulled back and licked away the tears that were forming in the corner of her eyes.

"It's okay, Baby," Inuyasha whispered as he nuzzled her cheek again for comfort, "I'm so sorry, but it will be over soon."

Kagome nodded her head and just waited for the pain to end. Inuyasha remained still inside of her as he watched Kagome cringe. His heart froze as he watched her face contort in pain..

'I swear to never cause her this much pain ever again,' Inuyasha promised to himself.

Inuyasha was brought back to reality when he heard Kagome's small moan. Her eyes traveled to his face as he watched her squirm underneath him. His gaze met hers and she lifted her head to kiss him.

Inuyasha moaned and deepened the kiss as he began to move inside of her. Kagome broke away from the kiss to let out a loud moan that had Inuyasha moving faster to hit that spot again and again.

The two broke away from all of reality as they moved to the beat of each other's rapid heartbeats. They were the only two people in existence as they pledged themselves to each other for all eternity.

"Inuyasha!" Kagome yelled as the half demon brought her over the edge and into a world of complete warmth and euphoria.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled his triumph into the night as he followed Kagome over that cliff and released his seed into her womb.

While still inside of her, Inuyasha leaned down and sunk his fangs into the junction of Kagome's neck, marking her as his. Kagome tilted her head to the side to give him more access. Inuyasha bit his own tongue and began to lap at the small wounds on Kagome's neck, allowing his blood to mingle with hers.

If Kagome were in a right frame of mind, her miko training would have alerted her to the fact that she had just become a mate to a demon, but in her lust clouded mind she could only focus on the pleasure that Inuyasha was bringing her.

Inuyasha slowly pulled out of her and released her neck from his hold. He fell to the bed beside his mate and pulled her to him, his hands locked around her waist possessively. He rested his head atop hers, his face buried in her hair.

He lovingly pulled the blankets up around her naked body before placing a light kiss to the top of Kagome's head.

"Goodnight, my mate," Inuyasha whispered before closing his eyes, a look of peace on his face.

"Mm….'night," Kagome murmured, as she too slowly fell asleep.

End Chapter

A/N: Well, looking back on this story 5 years later, I realize I still love the concept! Hopefully you guys do too and you'll leave me positive and encouraging reviews. I have the second chapter already written and it just needs some final editing for re-posting. I will try to get a chapter posted a week. I'll try my best to stick to that timeline, but it might be difficult with the spring semester wrapping up!

Kameko-chan.


	2. 2: Running Isn't An Option

A/N:

Thanks so much for the encouraging reviews! As a developing writer, all the encouragement and feedback helps!

One reviewer mentioned pointed out something that I failed to really stress in the first chapter, but hope to in later chapters (it might not get fully explained until the 3rd chapter or so). Kagome was not drunk and neither was Inuyasha. However, in the world of my story, the emotional and physical desires felt between mates is uncontrollable. Kagome was acting out of character and forgetting her engagement to Koga because Fate was overpowering her own self-control. The same goes for Inuyasha. In fact, he's going to feel it more so because he has demon blood in him. They're both running on instinct right now, logic will come later (for Kagome at least!). I didn't mention it directly in the story because it's so common place in their world that I thought it would fit awkwardly in the beginning. However, it will be mentioned! Thanks for pointing that out! :D

Disclaimer: As usual, I own nothing.

Recap:

_If Kagome were in a right frame of mind, her miko training would have alerted her to the fact that she had just become a mate to a demon, but in her lust clouded mind she could only focus on the pleasure that Inuyasha was bringing her._

_Inuyasha slowly pulled out of her and released her neck from his hold. He fell to the bed beside his mate and pulled her to him, his hands locked around her waist possessively. He rested his head atop hers, his face buried in her hair._

_He lovingly pulled the blankets up around her naked body before placing a light kiss to the top of Kagome's head._

"_Goodnight, my mate," Inuyasha whispered before closing his eyes, a look of peace on his face._

"_Mm….'night," Kagome murmured, as she too slowly fell asleep._

End Recap

CHAPTER 2: Running Isn't an Option

Sunlight streamed into the Master bedroom of the penthouse apartment. Kagome winced as the sun hit her eyes. Her sleep filled mind reeled in confusion. In her bedroom, the window didn't hit directly on her bed. Slowly, she wiped the sleep from her eyes. Her heart stopped when she saw the wall of windows that revealed the beautiful Tokyo skyline. She couldn't possibly be awake; this was the scene from her mysterious, erotic dream last night. She squeezed her eyes tightly shut and willed herself to wake up. She frowned when she opened her eyes again to see the same scene around her. She went to stand up to further inspect her surroundings when she was pulled back down to the bed.

'Oh no,' Kagome thought as she looked over her shoulder to see the man that had been the main focus of her dream.

Kagome's heart melted as she glanced at his face. His beautiful amber orbs were hidden in sleep. Her eyes followed the strong line of his jaw, then over to his full and partially opened lips that sent her insides into a frenzy. He looked like a fallen angel, sent to earth to tempt her into sin.

"And sin, I did," She whispered to herself aloud, as she felt her muscles twinge in delicious agony.

Slowly, Kagome reached out her hand and brushed back his bangs to place a kiss to his forehead.

"Thank you, Inuyasha," She whispered to his forehead, "You have given me a night to remember. If only it could have lasted."

Kagome stood up and quickly went around the room, looking for all of her clothes. Once she had retrieved her scattered attire she came to the conclusion that she couldn't wear them outside. She didn't even know how to put the corset on, Sango had helped her with it last night! And she was certainly not going to wear a skirt that short without her underwear, seeing as how Inuyasha had rendered the white fabric useless last night.

Searching, she found what looked to be Inuyasha's dresser. As quietly as she could manage, she pulled out a pair of black sweats and a large white t-shirt. The pants hung at her ankles unless she held them up and the t-shirt fell off her shoulder and went down to her knees.

'They'll just have to do,' She thought to herself as she grabbed her purse from where she had dropped it on the floor last night, and without making a sound to disturb the man she had given herself to, she left the pent house apartment, fully intending to walk out of his life forever.

Once on the street, Kagome stopped to think about what to do next. She most certainly couldn't go home looking like this and without any explanation other than that she had spent the night with a man she had met at the club last night.

"I'll go to Sango's," She told herself as she looked to the street signs to get her bearings, "I can figure everything out there."

After 15 minutes of walking and a ten minute bus ride, Kagome stood in front of the Taijiya's apartment.

Sango lived alone with her little brother Kohaku, Kagome's brother, Souta's, best friend. Their parents had died in a fatal car accident nearly two years ago. The siblings had inherited a large sum of money from their parents, meaning they had opportunity to live relatively well off. Kagome walked up the three flights of stairs and up to Sango's apartment where she knocked once quickly on the door. Before she could knock a second time, the door was ripped open to by a panic-stricken Sango.

"Kagome!" Sango yelled as she grabbed her best friend in a suffocating hug and pulled her into the apartment.

"Shia! Kagome's here," Sango yelled as she shut the door and dragged Kagome into the living room.

"Kagome," Shia screamed in delight as she stood up from her place on the couch to join in hugging Kagome.

"Guys, I can't breathe," Kagome choked out as her friends squeezed her tighter.

Her two friends pulled away and Sango looked her up and down, taking in stolen sweats and t-shirt. Sango's eyes then took in the bundle of clothes in Kagome's hands that strangely resembled her outfit from last night.

"Kagome, sweetie, what happened last night?" Sango asked cautiously as fear began to once again build up in her stomach.

What happened to their innocent little Kagome while Sango and Shia had been flirting and drinking the night away? The two girls had gotten back to Sango's apartment late last night, figuring Kagome had chickened out and gone back home. However, when they woke up in the morning and their heads were clearer, they began to see the flaws in that idea. That's when they had begun to panic. Kagome sighed and went to sit down on the couch. Once comfortable, Kagome looked up at her two best friends who were staring at her curiously.

"You guys remember the owner of the club from last night, Inuyasha?"

Sango and Shia nodded slowly, the pieces of the puzzle beginning to fit together.

"Well, he invited me back to his apartment last night and well….." Kagome blushed and her gaze fell to her lap.

"Oh. My. God. You did the nasty," Shia screeched, "Little miss innocent bagged herself a hottie! I am so jealous!"

"Shia," Sango hissed as she punched the pixie girl's arm, "She also happened to 'bag a hottie' that wasn't her fiancé."

"Oh," Shia shut up and both she and Sango turned to Kagome once again.

Kagome's eyes widened and her hand went to her mouth in shock. She hadn't ever thought of Koga. She had quickly dismissed thoughts of him as soon as Inuyasha had pulled away from the club.

She was an engaged woman! She was supposed to save herself for her husband on their wedding night, not go off and sleep with any man who tells her he thinks she's beautiful. And what was worse was that Koga was a demon. She wouldn't be able to hide it. He'd know instantly and would pick up on the change in her scent in a heartbeat. Combine that with Koga's extremely jealous nature and she was screwed.

"What was I thinking?! I cheated on Koga! I've never cheated on him. I've never even considered cheating on him before last night," Kagome cried as her heart sank lower and lower in despair, "I'm a whore. I don't deserve Koga."

Shia went to hold Kagome and comfort her, while Sango stood transfixed. Shia looked up at Sango and glared. She rocked their depressed friend back and forth soothingly, but continued to glare at Sango.

"What the hell are you just staring at, Sango?" Shia asked rudely, breaking Sango out of her thoughts.

"I think we have a bigger problem on our hands than Koga's jealousy," Sango said in a shocked tone of voice. Kagome wiped the tears from her eyes and looked up to join Shia in staring at Sango in confusion.

"What do you mean, Sango?" Kagome asked between hiccups.

"Kagome, Inuyasha is a demon, right?"

"half-demon," Kagome answered, "why?"

Sango moved closer and kneeled down to look up at her two best friends. Slowly, she brought her hand up to brush away a few tendrils of Kagome's raven hair off of her neck. Her fingers grazed lightly over the skin on the juncture of her neck, causing Kagome to cry out in pain.

"Oh, shiznits," Shia breathed out as her eyes finally caught on to what Sango had noticed minutes before.

"What?" Kagome looked back and forth between her stunned friends in panic.

Terrified, Kagome rushed from the living room and into the bathroom to look at her appearance in the large mirror. Pulling back her hair, she looked to her neck. Her heart stopped as she noticed the two small puncture wounds, the same size as Inuyasha's fangs.

Kagome went perfectly still as a few tears fell down her cheeks.

"Kagome, sweetie?" Sango whispered as she and Shia stepped into the bathroom, "It's going to be okay. We can fix this. There are ways to erase a demon mating. We can figure it out and then we can forget all about this. You're not in this alone, we'll help you."

Shia nodded in agreement, her mind already thinking up ways to hunt down the hanyou and kill him slowly.

Kagome turned to her friends, tears still falling down her cheeks. Without saying a thing, she rushed to her friends and hugged them tightly. She needed them desperately and she was so grateful to have them by her side.

"Thank you."

"No problem, girlie," Shia said soothingly, "let's go call your mom and tell her you slept over Sango's last night, then we can get some breakfast before we get down to business.

Kagome nodded her head and kissed both friends on the cheek before walking off to Sango's room to borrow some better fitting clothes and to call her mom.

"Sango, do you have a chain saw?" Shia asked once she knew Kagome was out of earshot.

"Way ahead of you, girl," Sango hissed.

Inuyasha groaned as he heard a banging on his front door from where he still remained sprawled across his bed.

"Just come in, Miroku," Inuyasha yelled, having picked up on the scent of his guest.

He heard the front door open and close and knew it was time for him to get up. Turning over, he went to tell his mate good morning, only to find that the spot where she had slept was cold and empty. Inuyasha growled deeply and his eyes flashed red before returning to their original gold as he fought to keep his inner youkai in check. He glanced around the room to see only _his_ clothes strewn across the floor and her scent was faint. She had been gone for about an hour, maybe a little more.

"Kagome!" Inuyasha yelled in anger as he grabbed his jeans from last night and slipped them on.

He stormed into his large living room to see a far too cheerful Miroku seated on the couch, flipping through the channels on Inuyasha mounted plasma screen TV.

"What crawled up your butt and died, amigo?" Miroku asked as he decided on watching a modeling contest.

"Where is she?" Inuyasha growled as he looked around the room in one last attempt before he would begin to tear down the city in search of her.

"By 'she' I'm guessing you mean that Kagome girl that you met at the club last night?" Miroku asked curiously as he watched Inuyasha fume.

"She's not just 'that Kagome girl', she's my mate and she just fuckin' ran off!"

Miroku's eyes widened, "You marked her?!"

"Yes I fuckin' marked her!" Inuyasha yelled as he went back into his room to grab a shirt.

He stormed to his closet to grab a black silk button down shirt. As he started buttoning it up, he noticed a small slip of white peeking out from under the large chair in the corner of his bedroom.

Making his way to the chair, he picked up the fabric to see that it was Kagome's torn underwear that she had left behind. Closing his eyes, he took in the scent of her and that scent brought back vivid flashbacks of last night. Inuyasha was brought out of his trip down memory lane by the sound of Miroku's chuckling.

"What the hell are you laughing at lech?" Inuyasha growled.

"Well, it's just like a dirty version of Cinderella. The girl and the guy get their freak on, she bolts in the morning, but leaves behind a pair of her panties. Say, Inuyasha, you wanna go around the city and find the girl who fits the underwear? I'll help; I don't care if it takes all day seeing girls in their knickers, as long as you find Ka…."

Miroku was cut off when Inuyasha wrapped one clawed hand around his neck. The laughter died in the monk's eyes as he waited to see what his best friend would do next while in this angry state.

"This isn't a fuckin' joke, monk," Inuyasha growled as his blood boiled.

Miroku nodded his head and lowered his eyes, something he had learned to do years ago when around the inu hanyou. Being a dog demon, Inuyasha saw the gang like a pack. Though Miroku was second in command, he was still below the Alpha in the food chain and should therefore show his respect; especially when said alpha was angry.

"Good," Inuyasha responded as he let go of the grip on his friend's neck, "So what is it you came here to bug me with?"

"Just that there's a rumor going around that Naraku's gang is planning a takeover of the South Samurai gang," Miroku sobered up, back to business.

"The fuckin' bastard," Inuyasha growled.

Naraku's gang, the Poison Spiders, was the only gang that posed any sort of threat to the White Dog's. The two gangs were constantly at war and trying to gain control over each other's satellite gangs.

"So what's the game plan?" Miroku asked as he followed Inuyasha out into the living room and to the coat closet.

"I'll deal with that piss-ant later," Inuyasha growled as he grabbed his leather coat and slung it on, "For now we're gonna go see Sesshomaru."

"Sesshomaru….why?"

"Doesn't matter, just hurry up," Inuyasha yelled as he rushed out the door, with a confused Miroku trailing behind.

"Takahashi-sama, your younger brother is here to see you," Kagura announced when she glided into the large office of Japan's most prestigious lawyer.

"Thank you," Sesshomaru mumbled as he looked over his paperwork, "send him in."

Kagura nodded and strutted out of the office and Sesshomaru picked up on her seductive voice on the other side of the door, telling his brother to enter.

"Hey, Sessho, what's up?" Inuyasha strolled into the office, Miroku falling closely behind.

"To what do I owe this pleasure, pup?" Sesshomaru looked up at his brother and leaned back in his chair.

The two half-brothers typically bickered that way, making people think that they hated each other. However, they were surprisingly close. They had looked out for each other all their lives. They just enjoyed their insult games.

"I need you to help me find someone," Inuyasha got straight down to business, sitting down in a chair across from his brother's.

Miroku took the seat beside his best friend and leaned back to watch the scene before him.

"Are you planning to stage a hit?"

"Oh, he already had a hit, trust me," Miroku chuckled.

Inuyasha glared at the monk while Sesshomaru lifted one elegant eyebrow in question. The older dog demon scented the air and his eyes widened slightly.

"You have taken a mate, Inuyasha?"

"Don't sound so surprised," Inuyasha growled.

"I can't help it. I never thought a woman would wish to deal with you for eternity. I suppose congratulations are in order. I would love to meet this woman, Inuyasha," Sesshomaru grinned, genuinely happy for his younger brother.

"Yeah," Miroku grinned again, "that's gonna be a bit of a problem."

Sesshomaru rolled his eyes and watched Inuyasha.

"You lost your bitch, didn't you?"

Inuyasha growled and his hands gripped the sides of the chair in anger, his claws leaving marks in the dark wood.

"I just need you to find her address," Inuyasha snapped out, "I can handle it from there."

"Fine," Sesshomaru sighed, "What is her name?"

"Kagome," Inuyasha answered and he couldn't keep the shiver from taking over his body from saying her name.

"Let me guess, you don't have her last name," the inu-youkai stated rather than asked.

Sesshomaru took the silence as an answer and he rubbed his temple with on clawed hand.

"Inuyasha, do you know how many women by that name live in Tokyo alone? If you want me to get anywhere soon, then I need more."

"She's a miko."

Both demons looked to Miroku, whose face was now completely serious.

"What?" Inuyasha asked.

"I picked up on it when I first met them at the club last night," Miroku answered, "Kagome and the pink pixie girl were both miko's and my beloved Sango was of demon slayer origin. Kagome has a lot of power, I'm surprised you didn't pick up on it, Yash."

"Feh, I was a little too busy to notice shit like that," Inuyasha huffed.

"Well, that should help narrow things down," Sesshomaru responded, "I'll get on it right now. I assume you will be at the family dinner tonight and I will hopefully have some news to give you then."

Inuyasha nodded, "Just don't tell the mom and pops just yet, alright? Dad would have a field day."

Sesshomaru nodded, promising he wouldn't say a word to Inuyasha's mother and their father. Inuyasha said his thanks before leaving the office, Miroku whistling beside him.

"This isn't funny, monk," Inuyasha growled as Miroku chuckled again while in the elevator.

"Dude, I don't know what you're talking about. This is fuckin' hilarious," Miroku laughed.

Inuyasha slapped his head across the back of his head, shutting the monk up for the moment.

* * *

"So I have a plan and before you guys shoot it down, let me get it out," Sango said as she poured ketchup on her triple cheese omelet.

Kagome had called her mother an hour ago and told her that she had spent the night at Sango's apartment. Now the three girls were sitting at a trendy diner down the street from the Taijiya apartment.

"Just spit it out, Sango," Shia mumbled through a mouthful of pancakes.

"You're disgusting," Sango eyed her pink haired friend.

Shia glared, her cheeks puffed up like a chipmunk's, and Kagome laughed despite her mood.

"What's your plan?" Kagome asked before taking a sip of her hot cocoa with whipped cream.

"Well, Kaede's a miko and she's ancient! If anyone knows the old ways and how to reverse a mating, it's her," Sango shrugged.

"But she's our principle!" Shia exclaimed, "I don't know about you, but I doubt Kagome wants to go up to our old principle and mentor and tell her what happened last night! Less than 24 hours we been released out into the real world and we'd already be crawling back to her as screw-ups! I mean, jeez Sango, Kagome's mom is good friends with Kaede!"

"It was just an idea," Sango said reasonably, "I think we can trust Kaede, don't you? She's always been understanding."

"Can I just think about it for a while?" Kagome asked as she wrapped her arms around herself as if she was trying to keep everything inside, "I don't think I'm ready."

"Okay, Sweetie, but you know we're going to have to deal with it sooner rather than later," Shia reminded gently.

Kagome nodded and Sango sighed before moving on to the next topic.

"Alright, we'll deal with that later. For now, we have to hide the evidence. Kagome, do you know how to hide the scent with a barrier?"

"Yeah, it should be easy enough," Kagome answered, thankful that Sango was taking charge.

"Good, you can do that when we get back. That way Koga doesn't have to know just yet," Sango smiled.

All three girls nodded and continued eating their meals, trying to forget the past nights events.

"Kagome," Shia said in shock, "He marked you as his mate."

"No shit, Sherlock," Sango rolled her eyes, "we've already been over this."

"Would you just let me finish? He marked you. You're his mate. He's not just going to let that go. He might come looking for you."

Sango slapped her hand against her forehead in frustration and Kagome's eyes widened.

"He can't! I mean, all he knows about me is my first name! He can't possibly find me," Kagome said frantically, trying to convince herself as well as her two friends.

Sango nodded, not completely assured. She had taken a few classes on demons with Shia and Kagome; it had been required at Shikon High. Demons mated for life and that included half-demons (though there were ways to break the ritual) and dog demons were most known for their loyalty and devotion. If Inuyasha had marked Kagome as his mate, there was nothing short of death that could keep him from her.

The girls finished up their meals and paid the bill before getting up and walking down the sidewalk, arms linked together with Kagome in the middle. The three girls were in comfortable silence as they made their way back to Sango's apartment when Kagome's cell went off. The three friends stopped to let Kagome fish the phone out of her purse.

Kagome's heart stopped as she read the caller I.D. She looked up helplessly to her two friends. Shia rolled her eyes, but Sango nodded her head encouragingly.

"Hi, Koga," Kagome whispered as she picked up the phone.

"Hey, Baby," Koga grinned, "So are you busy right now?"

"Um, something came up and I slept over Sango's," Kagome answered, not wanting to lie and not wanting to tell the whole truth.

"Alright," Koga sighed, "how about tonight, then? I'll pick you up at around 6."

"Yeah, sure," Kagome nodded, "I….I love you, Koga."

"Back atcha, Babe," Koga said before hanging up.

Kagome shut her phone and put it back into her purse as the tears started to fall down her face. Sango and Shia wrapped their arms around her as the sobs began to rock her small form.

"I'm such a horrible girlfriend," Kagome choked out, "We're engaged! He's always been there for me and I go and sleep with some guy that I don't even know or plan to ever see again! I'm horrible and I should die!"

"Sweetie," Shia sighed, "everyone makes mistakes and if Koga loves you like you deserve then he will understand!"

Sango glanced at Shia, shocked. Shia had never been quiet about her hatred for Koga. She had always thought that he was beneath their little Kagome.

"I hope so," Kagome whispered quietly as she continued to cry in the streets.

* * *

"What's wrong, Yash?"

Inuyasha stopped his fidgeting to look over to the couch where his best friend was watching him curiously.

"She's confused and sad," Inuyasha answered angrily, "she's crying."

"Dude," Miroku sighed, "Just calm down. There's nothing you can do right now so just forget about it. You'll just have to wait till we hear from Sessho then you can rush in and save your damsel in distress and sweep her off her feet."

"Whatever," Inuyasha growled as he stood up from the barstool at the counter and went over to his room, "I'm gonna take a nap."

Inuyasha slammed the door to his room and went to sit on his large bed. The covers were still a mess from last night and this morning. Inuyasha sighed and closed his eyes, taking in her slowly fading scent. He missed her, needed her with a vengeance. Why did she leave? How could she have left? For him, last night had been the most amazing experience of his entire life. It couldn't have been just nothing to her either.

Inuyasha took another deep breath of her scent before lying himself down on what he already considered her side of the bed. He pressed his face into her pillow and as he slowly fell asleep, images of the night before danced through his mind.

"Kagome," Inuyasha whispered in his sleep as the memories continued to flash through his mind.

* * *

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Sango asked as she sat on Kagome's bed, "You can always just cancel."

"Oh yeah, because Koga handles things like that really well," Shia responded, "let's just see if she can create the barrier and if she can't then we'll consider canceling."

"Will you two stay quiet?" Kagome growled as she sat on the floor with her eyes closed, her breathing become even, "I can't concentrate with you two bickering like old maids."

Shia giggled and Sango rolled her eyes but they otherwise did as they were told. They watched Kagome slowly fall into a trance as she continued to meditate. Her miko power began to crackle around her in a stunning electric blue color.

The two girls watched their powerful friend in awe and amazement. They focused their eyes on the mating mark on her neck and watched as it slowly faded away to nothing. Seconds later, Kagome broke out of her trance and opened her eyes to look to her friends.

"Well?"

"It's gone!" Shia squealed excitedly and Sango nodded.

Kagome smiled and walked over to her mirror. The mark was still there, but now only her eyes and her mate's could see it. She turned to her other miko friend and nodded her head. Shia closed her eyes and threw her senses out like a net and her grin widened when she didn't pick up on anything.

"I can't sense anything either! You did it, Kaggies! That's so cool! How long do you think it will last?"

"I'd say no more than a few hours or so, as long as I don't get too distracted," Kagome answered as she slipped into her flip flops and went to run a comb through her hair.

Since her date was only out to a movie and dinner and she didn't want Koga's attention too much on her, she decided to just wear a pair of comfy jeans with a gray field hockey t-shirt and a navy fleece. She ran the comb through her raven locks and expertly braided it down her back. She skipped the make-up and turned back to her friends just as she heard a knock at the door.

"That's Koga," Kagome grinned, "wish me luck."

"Luck," Sango and Shia said in unison.

Kagome waved to them before shutting her door and skipping down the stairs. Once at the bottom, she saw her mom let Koga in.

"Hello, Koga," Mrs. Higurashi said politely.

"Mrs. Higurashi," Koga nodded his head, his eyes one his fiancé.

"Hi, Koga," Kagome smiled shyly.

"Babe," Koga grinned as he grabbed her waist and pulled her against him, "ready for the movies?"

Kagome nodded her head, her mind not exactly in the moment. Just days before, Koga was able to make her feel like the most special girl in the entire world, but now that feeling was gone. What she felt when her body was against Koga's was nothing compared to the simple act of Inuyasha's eyes on her.

'Stop it,' Kagome screamed to herself, 'stop thinking about him! You love Koga! This is just all in your head!'

But no matter how much she told herself that, she couldn't convince her body or heart to agree.

* * *

Inuyasha parked his motorcycle in front of the large seaside villa he had grown up in. He cut the engine and hopped off. He fixed the long ponytail he had pulled his hair back into, knowing his mom would do it for him if she didn't think it looked perfect.

Inuyasha sighed as he noticed that Sesshomaru's car wasn't there yet. He wasn't sure he could sit through an entire dinner with his parents after everything that happened, but Saturday night dinner was a tradition and he was also dying for the information that his brother hopefully would bring. Inuyasha took one more deep long breath before walking up the path to the front door. Before he could even ring the doorbell, the door was swung open by his mother.

"Inuyasha," Izayoi Takahashi squealed as she hugged her son and pulled him into the house, "It's so good to see you! Why haven't you called your mother at all this week?"

"Sorry, mom," Inuyasha tried to smile, "things just got really busy."

"Well," Izayoi grinned, "just make sure you find the time to call your little old mother!"

"I will," Inuyasha promised, "hey, Sesshomaru's coming right?"

"He called just a minute ago to say he was on his way," Izayoi answered as she dragged her son from the lavish hallway and into the sitting room.

Inuyasha nodded as they walked into the sitting room where his father, Inutaisho Takahashi, sat in a large chair beside the fire place. Izayoi released her son's hand and walked over to sit on the arm of her husband's chair, her fingers lightly playing with his long hair. Inuyasha's heart tightened as he watched his two parents. Even though he was a loose canon and had a knack for trouble and danger, he wanted what they had. He wanted to someday settle down with his mate and start a family.

Inuyasha went to sit on the couch opposite his parents and caught his father's eye. Inutaisho looked at his son, automatically picking up on the change in his scent. His son sent him a pleading look and Inutaisho nodded. He didn't know what was going on with his son, but he knew that he would tell him and his mother in time.

The three exchanged pleasantries for a few minutes before Inuyasha sensitive hearing picked up on his brother's car pulling into the driveway. Inuyasha stood up quickly and rushed to the door to open it just as his half brother was about to knock.

"A little impatient are we, pup?" Sesshomaru smirked as he stepped into the hall.

"Just tell me what you got, Fluffy," Inuyasha growled.

Sesshomaru frowned at the nickname his younger brother had given him as soon as he could talk. Calmly, he lifted his briefcase onto the table by the door and opened it up. He selected a manila folder before closing the briefcase.

He opened up the folder and began to scan through the contents with his eyes. Inuyasha's eye twitched in irritation when he realized that his brother was just stalling to piss him off.

"Out with it Fluffy," Inuyasha growled, "I aint got all day."

"Your grammar is appalling, dear brother," Sesshomaru commented as he continued to look at the folder in mild interest.

"Sesshomaru," Inuyasha warned.

Sesshomaru sighed and handed the folder over to his brother. Inuyasha opened it greedily and was welcomed by a large photo that Inuyasha could only guess was his mate's high school yearbook. His stomach clenched in knots as those startling blue eyes looked back at him. Her skin looked flawless and was framed by her dark wavy hair. Her smile seemed to glow and Inuyasha couldn't help but hope to see that smile aimed at him in real life.

"Her full name is Higurashi Kagome. She's eighteen and just the other day graduated from Shikon High School as the Valedictorian," Sesshomaru spoke as if he was at one of his daily meetings, "She is indeed a miko and she lives at the Higurashi Shrine with her younger brother, mother, and grandfather. I have enclosed the address on the last page."

Inuyasha closed the folder and looked at his brother, gratitude showing clearly in his golden eyes.

"Thanks, Sesshomaru," Inuyasha grinned, "I owe you one."

Sesshomaru shrugged, "It was not difficult, but I may someday take you up on that offer."

"Are you two going to come in or are you just going to stand out in the hallway all night," Izayoi's sing-song voice called out from the sitting room.

"Coming," the two brothers replied in unison.

Inuyasha took the papers out of the folder and folded them up before stuffing them into his back pocket. He placed the folder on top of Sesshomaru's briefcase and the two brothers entered the living room together.

Inuyasha sat down on the couch beside Sesshomaru, his feet tapping impatiently. His inner youkai was screaming to go and find his bitch and his human side was eagerly agreeing. He wasn't quite sure if he would be able to make it through an entire dinner without going crazy.

* * *

"So the movie was good," Kagome said conversationally as she walked down the street with Koga.

"Mhm," Koga agreed as he pulled Kagome closer to him.

The two walked into a comfortable silence that had become routine for them. Kagome sighed and began to lean more onto her fiancé for support. The barrier spell was still going strong but was beginning to take its toll on her strength.

"You okay, Babe?"

"Yeah," Kagome yawned, "Just tired."

"Stay up all night at your slumber party last night?" Koga grinned at his girl.

"Yeah," Kagome mumbled, guilt washing over her.

"Well, we're almost to your house," Koga answered as he began to pick up the speed and drag Kagome along.

The couple made it up the shrine steps around fifteen minutes later. Koga walked Kagome to the door before giving her a quick kiss and, with a bright smile, ran off down the steps and into the city.

Once alone, Kagome leaned against the door and sighed. Closing her eyes, she broke down the walls of her barrier. She stretched as she felt her muscles cry out from the tension she had put on them from the combination of stress and the spell.

"Who the hell was he?" A familiar voice growled.

The End

A/N: Alright, so this chapter was as far as I ever got when I first published it over 5 years ago! But don't worry, I've already begun working on chapter 3 as well as chapter 1 of a brand new story I came up with when spacing out in my Social Work class! So if you guys like this story, please send me a review! They make my day and keep me motivated!

P.S.—I hope to have the third chapter posted by 6pm (EST) this Sunday for anyone who cares!

Kameko


	3. Broken Hearts and Broken Walls

**A/N: Thanks to one of my wonderful reviewers who mentioned putting breaks between the different scenes. I had put lines in between when I was typing it up on my computer, but they apparently don't come through when I upload the document. I've changed the format so now you should have clear breaks! Sorry if it caused problems when reading the first two chapters, I'm going to have to go back and fix the first two chapters at a later date.**

_Recap:_

_Koga walked Kagome to the door before giving her a quick kiss and, with a bright smile, ran off down the steps and into the city._

_Once alone, Kagome leaned against the door and sighed. Closing her eyes, she broke down the walls of her barrier. She stretched as she felt her muscles cry out from the tension she had put on them from the combination of stress and the spell._

"_Who the hell was he?" A familiar voice growled._

_End Recap_

Chapter 3: Broken Hearts and Broken Walls

Kagome's eyes opened wide in shock and horror. She looked down the steps of the porch to see a figure looming in the darkness. She attempted to step back when she realized that she was already flush against the door.

"No," She whispered softly, "How?"

Inuyasha stepped out of the darkness and Kagome scolded her heart for the skip in beat. No matter how much she wanted to forget him and their night together, she couldn't help but admire his beauty. He stood there with a scowl on his face, giving him the dangerous and sexy vibe. His silver hair was pulled back and tied together at the base of his neck. He wore a black dress shirt with a few buttons undone and black dress pants.

"You're wondering how I found you," Inuyasha scowled as he slowly began to step towards her, like the perfect predator.

Kagome shivered at the harsh and primal tone of his voice. Kagome wanted to cower in fear and at the same time she felt a part of her that wanted to go to him and submit.

"I wasn't going to let my mate just run out on me," Inuyasha said before he pushed his body flush against her, "Not now, not ever."

Kagome remained completely still as Inuyasha leaned his head closer to hers. Their eyes never strayed from each others as Inuyasha's lips touched hers. Their eyes closed and the kiss became desperate. Inuyasha slipped his hands between Kagome and the wall and lowered his hands to grip her ass. Kagome instinctively wrapped her hands around his neck and lost herself in his kiss.

Inuyasha released her lips to allow oxygen to flow into her lungs and he began his attack on her neck. He scattered bruising kisses from beneath her ear down to where his mark he had placed on her began to pulse. He pressed his lips to the mark and flicked his tongue slowly against it, causing the two of them to shiver.

"Who was he?"

The low rumbling of Inuyasha's voice and his words were like ice water being poured down Kagome's back. She released her hands from around his back and placed them on his chest to push him back.

"Let me go," Kagome pleaded as she continued to hopelessly push on Inuyasha's hard chest.

Inuyasha froze, his lips pressed together on her mark. His golden eyes narrowed and he raised his head from her neck.

"What?" Inuyasha growled, his eyes trying to make contact with hers.

Kagome cringed and focused her blue eyes on the ground, suddenly finding the chip in one of the old wooden boards extremely fascinating. She wanted to sink into the wall behind her and completely disappear. In all her worry about how to handle the situation she had gotten herself into, she hadn't once thought of the possibility of him finding her!

"I said," she whispered less forcefully than before, "let me go, please."

Inuyasha could deny his mate nothing and so, with great reluctance, his grip on her loosened and he stepped back from her. He watched her with hard eyes filled with pain as she stood there and refused to meet his gaze.

"Who was he, Kagome? His scent is all over you," Inuyasha growled as time stretched on.

Kagome cringed and wrapped her arms around herself as if to lock herself away from the mess that had become her life. She remained silent as the wind blew through the trees, causing her to shiver.

Inuyasha growled when he realized that she didn't intend on answering him. Quickly, he had moved right up to her side once again. This time, he grabbed her upper arm and began to walk back down the porch steps.

"Come on, we need to talk," He snapped as he led her down the shrine steps and to his car.

Kagome weakly nodded her head. Before this morning, she had never run away from anything in her life. She had always attacked problems head on. She knew that this problem wasn't one that she could escape from. She had dug her grave and now she was to lie in it.

'_Maybe he can help me,' Kagome thought hopefully, 'we can get this settled as if it never happened and then go on with our separate lives.'_

While the plan sounded reasonable in her mind, she couldn't help but despise it deep in her heart.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XX

Inuyasha pulled up to the beach parking lot and cut the engine. He glared out at the ocean, not saying anything to his mate sitting beside him. Silently, he shoved open his door and got out. He slammed the door behind him and scowled as he went to stand on the beach.

He heard Kagome shut her door softly behind him and her soft footsteps followed his path so that she stood beside him. Out of the corner of his eye he saw the wind coming off of the ocean blow through her thick dark ponytail, her hair whipping around her delicate face.

The two stood in awkward silence, both lost in their own private thoughts as they watched the dark waves crash against the shore. The rough turmoil of the sea matched the hot fury that was raging inside of him now.

"You're…close…with him," Inuyasha growled low, "the mangy wolf."

Kagome couldn't help but feel her heart clench at the pain that could be heard so clearly in the hanyou's voice. She looked up into his face to see his strong jaw clenched tightly, his brows furrowed, and his golden eyes darkened as they stared straight ahead.

Kagome sighed as she turned her head to watch the sea as well, "I've been dating Kouga since the eighth grade. We've been engaged to be married for nearly four months now."

Inuyasha's fist clenched and he glanced down to see that his claws had pierced his skin and blood was dripping slowly onto the white sand. Kagome's gaze followed his and at the sight of the blood, she gasped.

"You're hurt," she whispered in surprise as she went to grab his hand and inspect the wound.

Before she could get a good look at it, Inuyasha tore his hand roughly from hers. Her touch felt too good and he couldn't grow any more accustomed to it. It would make it all the more painful.

"It doesn't matter," his voice had become cold, "Don't bother."

Kagome's bright blue eyes threatened to fill with tears as she stared at his rigged back and heard his harsh breathing.

"I am so sorry," Kagome whispered as the tears began to fall, "I didn't mean to hurt you, but we can't."

At her words, Inuyasha turned around and pulled her to him. His inner demon growled in contentment at the feeling of her fragile body molding to his larger one.

"Yes, we can," he hissed as he moved his face closer to hers so that their noses were touching, "We can. Don't you remember? Last night was so good, Kagome. Only I can give you that. I'm the only one who can make you feel that good. No one else."

"Last night was nothing but lust, an act done on impulse," Kagome tried to reason to both him and her, "I need more than that."

"I can give you more," Inuyasha said desperately, "so much more than that."

"No," she whispered, "but Koga can."

Inuyasha recoiled as if burned and Kagome wished she could take it all back. She watched in stunned silence as Inuyasha turned from the ocean and her to walk the few feet back to the stone wall that divided their private realm from that of the parking lot and the real world beyond. With a gut wrenching growl that no human and few youkai were capable of, Inuyasha's fists came down on that wall, bringing a section of it to pieces and sending spider web cracks all along the parts of the structure that managed to survive. She winced as she felt a substantial degree of both the hanyou's physical and emotional pain within her own body. Her mate marked throbbed and burned as if someone had rested a lit match against her skin. Despite all of that pain, she refused to cry out. She had hurt this beautiful stranger. She didn't deserve sympathy or relief.

They two strangers and former lovers stood on the beach in silence for what could have been hours—the only sounds being their heavy breathing and the gentle lapping of the waves against the shore reminding them that they were still a part of the world.

"This fiancée of yours," Inuyasha broke the silence, spitting out the words as if they were poison to his body, "Why hasn't he marked you?"

"Excuse me?" Kagome asked, her eyes wide. She couldn't fathom where this conversation was going, but she suspected she wouldn't like it.

"He's a wolf demon," Inuyasha replied as he turned back to her, his head dipped low to allow his hair to cover his gaze from her vision. His arms dangled beside him and Kagome found herself momentarily mesmerized by the blood that now dripped from both hands and collecting in pools in the sand.

"Wolf demons are almost as possessive as us dog demons…"

"Thank you, Sensei," Kagome snapped, finding herself growing impatient with the slowly rising tension, "I must have dozed off in Demonology 101."

"Now is not the time to get smart with me, bitch," He growled and she couldn't help but notice how his fists clenched. But through all this, his eyes were still hidden from her.

Kagome forced her body to loosen up after he called her bitch. She hadn't forgotten her training. To any canine demon, bitch wasn't a derogatory term. It was a possessive one and even, on many occasions, an affectionate one. Early in their relationship, Koga had called her it often and only reluctantly stopped when she threatened to break up with him.

"Sorry," Kagome managed to get out. Inuyasha made a rumbling sound in his chest and even with the distance of three or so feet between them, Kagome felt that sound resonate in her body with a pleasant and erotic pulse that generated from her mate mark and flowed in waves all throughout her body. Kagome's jaw clenched as she realized what was happening. Her body was responding from the praise being given to her by her alpha. She had pleased him and was ready to reap the reward. Even though she was only human, she could feel her body's natural instincts responding as if she were of youkai descent.

"My point was," Inuyasha paused as he finally lifted his head to make eye contact with her, "If you and your wolf demon have been together for so long, and you plan to marry him…why aren't you his mate?"

Kagome flinched at his words as if he had physically struck her. He had opened a wound that had never quite healed and rested just below the surface of her psyche. In the beginning, Koga had been eager to remind her that one day they were to be mates. Over time, however, that term had fallen out of his vocabulary and marriage became his primary focus.

"We…it'll happen eventually," She stammered and wrapped her arms around herself, suddenly noticing the cold, "Koga—he wants to give me my dream wedding first. He knows that's important to me as a human."

"Kagome," Inuyasha's eyes narrowed as he slowly approached her, "do you know what happens to a demon when he claims a mate that is not meant for him?"

"Shut up," She whimpered, shivering as he towered over her small frame.

"The wrongly chosen mate, whether human or demon, dies, Kagome," Inuyasha whispered as he reached out one hand to tangle his index finger in her ponytail, "They burn from the inside out in agony as their soul fades away. Then the foolish youkai who marked them is left with the knowledge that they killed someone they love and what's even worse, that their love wasn't enough and wasn't right!"

"SHUT UP!" Just as Kagome pushed some of her miko energy out at Inuyasha, he grabbed her to fold her into his body. He gritted his teeth as he absorbed her attack and watched in awe as her power manifested itself in an electric blue orb that surrounded their entwined forms.

'Miroku was right,' he thought, 'she is amazingly powerful.'

Slowly, the blue orb began to fizzle out and fade, reminding Inuyasha of his favorite style of fireworks from when he was a kid. When they finally disappeared, and all that remained was the two of them and the bustling ocean, his mate's whimpers caught his attention. Acting purely on instinct, Inuyasha gripped her tighter. Without meaning to, the sharp claws of one of his hands sliced through the elastic holding her hair together and it came tumbling down in luxurious waves.

"Attack me all you want, Kagome," He whispered desperately into her ear, "You're scared, hurt, and confused. I get that and you can take it out on me all you want. I'm willing to be there for you like that. Just know this, I'm not going to hurt you. I'd rather die than do that. And you wanna know why? It's because you're mine. The gods put you in my path. There's a reason that wolf hadn't made you his in all of these years. I'm sure he knows and now you know it too. You don't belong to him. You belong to me and I'll be damned if I let you just walk out of my life thinking what we had was nothing more than a good lay to look back on fondly!"

Kagome mumbled something into his shirt that even his demon hearing couldn't pick up on.

"What?"

She lifted her head away from his chest and he looked on, transfixed, as her hair fell from his fingers in graceful sweeps. Looking down into her face, his shoulders slumped at the sight of tear tracks drawn down her cheeks.

"Can you take me home? Please?"

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XX

The car ride back to the Higurashi shrine had been silent; the small space of the car was filled with enough tension and unspoken words to fill the ocean they had previously left behind. Inuyasha parked beside the intimidating set of stairs and, before Kagome could even reach for the door handle, he was at her side of the car to open her door.

"Oh, thank you," She blushed as she accepted his clawed hand and slowly stepped out of the vehicle.

The two stood beside the car awkwardly, neither one necessarily wanting the conversation to continue, but not willing to break free from the comfort being so close to one another provided.

"Well, goodnight," Kagome said as she turned to make the long trek up to her house. Her shoulders tensed when she noticed Inuyasha fall into step beside her in her ascent.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm seeing you safely to your door," he responded as if it was the most commonplace thing in the world, "The city isn't safe at night."

'Yeah,' she thought sarcastically to herself, 'you never know when a pissed off hanyou is going to jump out of the shadows.' Beside her, Inuyasha growled, and she glanced over at him in question.

"While you wear my mark, Kagome, you show me respect as your alpha. I know when you don't."

Silence was Kagome's only answer as they reached the top step. Her mate mark burned with what she could only guess was embarrassment. Her body still yearned to please its alpha. Sighing, she walked over to her front porch and only stopped before the door because she could feel Inuyasha's gaze burning into her back.

"This conversation isn't over, Kagome," he words floated to her on the air. She nodded to him meekly as she reached into her back pocket for her keys.

Kagome felt as if she released a breath she had been holding for the last twenty-four hours when she opened the front door and the light from her home spilled out into the night. She took a delicate step over the threshold before looking back out into the darkness. Inuyasha stood with his hands buried in his pockets. The light seeping out from behind her reached only as far as the toe of his shoes. He stood on the precipice of darkness, but those devastating gold eyes were illuminated with their own inner light.

"Good Night, Inuyasha," She whispered as she slowly closed the door, cutting off all sore of light.

The second the door clicked shut, Inuyasha disappeared in a flash, only to come to a stop at the foot of a giant tree that resided peacefully beside the Higurashi home. He rested his hand on the ancient tree's trunk and smiled as he felt his mate's spirit and picked up on a faded strain of her scent. In his mind's eye he could see his mate sitting beneath this tree's branches, taking comfort in nature. He could practically feel her hair blowing in the wind and brushing up against his face and neck.

A sudden burst of light drew the hanyou's attention back to the house and he saw that a light had been turned on in the window directly above him. He saw Kagome's silhouette as she moved about her room. With a quick leap, Inuyasha was nestled in one of the great tree's older branches, with a constant view of his mate's shaded window. She may have become his by accident, but he was going to make damn sure that she was always safe and under his protection.

"Sleep tight, mate," he whispered to the open sky, "and I'll see you tomorrow."

End Chapter.

**A/N: Phew! Another chapter down! And I've finally gotten beyond the second chapter of this story…it only took five years or so! Thanks so much to the very encouraging and helpful reviews! Please keep them coming if at all possible, they make me smile and keep me inspired. **

**I was able to knock this chapter out a few days ahead of my projected deadline so just bear with me if I don't get the next chapter out until mid to late next week…I have to do homework sometime!**

**Again, thanks for all the lovely reviews and keep them coming!**

**Kameko**


	4. Pancakes and Ultimatums

**A/N: So I had a major breakthrough on this story and I am so completely in love with it and inspired. I spent all of last Saturday mapping out the plot line on one of my whiteboards (and by whiteboards, I mean the scrap laminated poster boards I take from work before they're tossed in the trash!). I'm very excited to get the ball really rolling on this and hope you guys enjoy the ride!**

**I will try to stick to my original decision of updating once a week, but just know that's not set in stone. I'm finishing up my semester and I just got another job for the summer so I'll be holding down two jobs. I'm also trying to get an original story of mine finished and ready to be posted as an E-Book online for next fall so I've got a lot on my plate. That being said, I appreciate all of you guys reading and following my story and I will show my appreciation by trying to stick to my deadlines as much as possible. Also, my profile will have current updates listed as far as when chapters will be posted.**

**Also, for those of you that read my other story, "Duty to Your Pack", I am going to have to postpone this week's post of chapter 2. I'm working on re-editing it and realized it was too similar to this chapter of "One Night". I've found a way to tweak it that I'm satisfied with, but it means it will take me a few more days to bust that chapter out! Sorry for the delay, but know that it's on it's way!**

**As usual, if you like the story or have some constructive criticism, please send a review my way if you have the time! I really enjoy hearing from you guys…your reviews make me smile and keep me motivated!**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, except for the twins, Shia and Saiya, who will make appearances in nearly all of my stories at one time or another.**

_Recap:_

"_Good Night, Inuyasha," She whispered as she slowly closed the door, cutting off all source of light._

_The second the door clicked shut, Inuyasha disappeared in a flash, only to come to a stop at the foot of a giant tree that resided peacefully beside the Higurashi home. He rested his hand on the ancient tree's trunk and smiled as he felt his mate's spirit and picked up on a faded strain of her scent. In his mind's eye he could see his mate sitting beneath this tree's branches, taking comfort in nature. He could practically feel her hair blowing in the wind and brushing up against his face and neck._

_A sudden burst of light drew the hanyou's attention back to the house and he saw that a light had been turned on in the window directly above him. He saw Kagome's silhouette as she moved about her room. With a quick leap, Inuyasha was nestled in one of the great tree's older branches, with a constant view of his mate's shaded window. She may have become his by accident, but he was going to make damn sure that she was always safe and under his protection._

"_Sleep tight, mate," he whispered to the open sky, "and I'll see you tomorrow."_

_End Recap._

**Chapter 4: Pancakes and Ultimatums**

Kagome scrounged blindly for her cell phone, that was ringing repeatedly somewhere near her sleep fogged head. Peeking her eyes just barely open, she noticed the pocket of her sweatshirt vibrating from where it hung off her headboard. Reaching in for the out of date flip phone, she noticed the time read 8:13 a.m.

"What?" Kagome croaked out from her dry mouth. God, did she have cotton balls stuffed in her mouth, because it sure felt like it.

"Well, good morning to you too, Princess," the sarcastic voice on the other line eventually registered to Kagome as belonging to Sango.

"Ugh…I feel awful…" She groaned in response as she dived down beneath her covers with the phone still clutched to her ear.

"Well that's understandable, Sweetie," Sango's voice lost its sarcasm and took on a more sympathetic tone, "it's been a long couple of days." Kagome could barely make out the words '_Oh for the love of God'_ being spoken in the background before the sound of a struggle filled her ears.

"Kagome?"

"…Shia?" Now she was even more confused.

"Who else?" The pink pixie from hell replied peevishly, "what we really want to know is if the barrier lasted through your whole date with your little 'teen wolf'. C'mon, Kaggies, give us the goods!"

Suddenly, images from last night came flooding back to the forefront of Kagome's memory. Her constant stress about maintaining the barrier during her date with Kouga. Her horrible confrontation with Inuyasha on the beach. And then there were the dreams. All last night Kagome had tossed and turned, deep in the most erotic torment of her life. The phantom images from her dream were fuzzy, but she could recall the feeling of lips exploring her body with abandon, sharp claws gently playing with erogenous zones she didn't even know she had.

And all the while, the incubus watched her with the golden eyes of a predator, letting her know that this was more nightmare than dream. Even now, Kagome's mate mark burned and throbbed in time with the pounding of her heart. Shakily, she drew a single fingertip over the mark, as if she were testing the severity of a sunburn. To her shame and embarrassment, she felt her panties dampen and she couldn't control her climactic shudder.

"Kagome? Hello….Earth to KA…GO…ME!"

"Can't. Not right now. Sorry," Kagome responded in a jumble of nonsense as she hung up the phone on her friends. She set her phone on the night stand before crawling out from under the covers and sitting up on the bed. She blinked her eyes repeatedly, willing the haze from sleep out of them.

Suddenly, her phone was vibrating and Kagome's stomach started tying itself up in knots. Sango was right—she'd had a rough couple of days and even though she knew her friends were only looking out for her, she couldn't quite deal with them this early in the morning. She heard the ping, alerting her to a new voicemail or text and before the phone could start ringing again, she turned it off and tucked it back into the pocket of her sweatshirt.

At the moment, she wanted nothing more than to crawl back under the covers and fall back asleep. Her body yearned to sleep the entire day away, but her troubled mind was already racing and she knew that getting up was now inevitable. Gingerly, as her muscles were still a little sore from her first sexual encounter two nights prior, she climbed out of her bed and placed her feet on the plush carpet of her bedroom floor. _'Or maybe you should say "encounters". I definitely recall him reaching for your body more than once in the night_,' her traitorous conscience opened the flood gates for the memories to come flooding back to her.

Kagome looked down to see her tank-top and boxer clad body flush as sensory memories took over. Her breasts felt heavy with desire, the nipples puckering and begging for the attention they had only had a brief taste of. She clenched her thighs together to try to alleviate the warm, wet ache at her core. All the while, her neck burned in delicious agony and on some instinctual level she knew the mark was calling out for her mate to gently and sensuously lap at the mark and bank the fire within her.

"No," She hissed as she shook her head and stomped her foot in defiance, "No. No. No. I don't have a mate. I have a fiancé. Koga. I love him. Koga…no one else!" The last was said on a whimper as her mark began to burn in earnest. If she thought it had been bad before, it was nothing compared to the raging inferno that consumed her now.

Kagome wanted to scream in frustration and discomfort, but a knock on the bathroom door that connected her bedroom to her younger brother, Souta's, room. She must have responded, although through the pain she wasn't quite sure how, because the next moment the door had opened and Souta was peeking his head into the room.

"Are you feeling ok, Sis?" She took a few deep breaths and only when the mark had calmed to the point where she only felt a dull ache was she capable of replying.

"I'm fine, Souta. Why do you ask?"

"Well," he looked her up and down with worried eyes, "You were making really weird noises all night long…like you were hurt or sumthin'. It was weird." Kagome blushed as she realized that she must have been vocally responding to her erotically charged dreams last night. She thanked the kamis that her brother was only twelve and clearly hadn't understood what he had heard last night. Although she still wanted to be swallowed up by the earth out of embarrassment.

"It was just a nightmare, Squirt. I'm sorry if it woke you up." That was the understatement of the year.

"It's ok. I only heard it when I got up to use the….hey, what's that on your neck? You are hurt!"

Kagome rushed forward to grab her brother and cover her hand over his mouth, which had apparently decided to shout the last sentence. The Higurashi home wasn't massive by any means and the comfortable closeness of the family home often meant that everyone heard everything, much to Kagome's current dismay.

"Would you keep quiet? I told you, I'm fine," she whispered, just to be safe. Souta mumbled something into her palm that she couldn't decipher.

"Ok, on the count of three, I'm going to let you go," Kagome's eyes met Souta's and she made sure he could read the severity in her gaze, "At the time, if you have anything you want to say, you say it quietly. Got it? Yes? Good. Ok…One…Two…Three."

Kagome slowly stepped back from her brother. She waited in fear, as if he were a bomb that she wasn't sure would go off, for him to say something. Souta squinted his eyes as he gazed at her neck and Kagome wanted to reprimand him for not wearing the glasses her mother had saved up to purchase. He was still holding out for contacts, but at twelve years old, he hadn't proven himself responsible enough for them yet. Plus there was the matter of finances.

"What is it? Did…did Koga do that to you?" Souta's voice trembled as he asked her. Although she had been with Koga for nearly six years now, her family still occasionally struggled with her dating a demon.

"Souta, it's not like that," she sighed, "it's just…."

How did she explain this to her twelve-year old brother? Sorry Souta, but the big sister you've always looked up to is actually a cheating slut and managed to wreck her entire future in one night. Again, her mark began to burn in punishment to her thoughts and she wanted to cry and scream and…and throw something.

"He did, didn't he? Koga hurt you! I'll…I'll kill him," Souta's voice was still low, but tortured and tears began to well up in his big blue eyes that looked exactly like hers and their father's. Kagome was just about to rush to Koga's defense, when the perfect escape route appeared in her head.

"Souta, calm down," She said as the plan continued to unfurl in her brain, "Yes. Koga...did this, but I asked him to." Souta looked at her as if she had just grown six heads while announcing she wanted to be Dodo bird and she rushed to explain. "Souta, Koga and I are going to be married soon. And you know already that's he's a demon. So I'm going to be his wife…and mate."

Although the ins and outs of demon mating weren't introduced to most kids until they were in Sex Ed in Junior High, she figured he would at least be able to understand that what was on her neck branded her as a demon's mate.

"Oh," he continued to stare at her neck and she watched as his eyes widened and a blush stained his cheeks, "Ohhhh!" Well, maybe he understood more than she thought.

"Yeah," Kagome replied, embarrassed, "So I'm fine. In fact—I'm really happy. It's what I've always wanted. So now I'm really Koga's." Again the mark burned like a forest fire.

"Ok, I guess…as long as you're not hurt…"

"Exactly! It's a good thing….just promise me you won't tell Mom…or Grandpa!"

"Why?" Souta's eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"I just want to tell them after Koga and I are married. Especially Grandpa—you know how he is with anything demonic." Souta laughed and Kagome took her first real breath during the conversation in relief.

"Ok, yeah. I get it," Souta smiled, "So are you coming down for breakfast? Mom said last night she was going to make pancakes!"

"Yeah, I'll be down in a minute. Just let me get dressed." Souta nodded and he turned to leave through the door that would take him out into the hall.

"Oh and thanks, Squirt," Kagome called out to him just as he was opening the door. She smiled as he rushed back to her to give her a quick hug.

"You'll just owe me," he replied cheekily as he skipped out into the hallway, causing Kagome to laugh for the first time in what felt like years.

She stretched as the door closed shut, leaving her to her own thoughts. Heading to her closet, she pulled out a peach colored sundress. The cool cotton fabric always felt amazing against her skin and the flirty skirt and crocheted cap sleeves always made her feel pretty and feminine. It was one of Koga's favorite outfits. She cringed as she thought of her fiancé and the lie that she was forced to tell her brother.

"It's not such a big deal," she rationalized out loud as she placed the sundress on her bed and went in search of her strapless bra and a pair of panties out of her dresser, "I'll get rid of this mark and Koga will just give me his. It was going to happen anyway."

_"The wrongly chosen mate, whether human or demon, dies, Kagome," Inuyasha whispered as he reached out one hand to tangle his index finger in her ponytail, "They burn from the inside out in agony as their soul fades away. Then the foolish youkai who marked them is left with the knowledge that they killed someone they love and what's even worse, that their love wasn't enough and wasn't right!"_

Her heart clenched as she recalled that part of the conversation with Inuyasha on the beach. Was there something more about why Koga had yet to give her his mate mark and why he no longer mentioned it? Did he have doubts about their future together? If he wasn't willing to mate her than why would he marry her? She knew these were all questions she would have to approach with her wolf demon, but she also knew she had to first take care of the situation with Inuyasha.

"Priorities, Higurashi," She mumbled to herself as she slipped into the sundress, "Get rid of one mate before you start worrying about another." She made a quick pit stop into the bathroom to brush her hair and teeth and apply some concealer to her neck before heading back through her room and out into the hall.

She took the stairs two at a time, her stomach grumbling in response to the smell of sizzling bacon and maple syrup. Having been in high school the last four years, she was accustomed to grabbing something quick and processed for her morning meal and her stomach was clearly ready to make up for all the lost meals.

"Mom, everything smells so…" The words died in her throat as she stepped through the entry way connecting her living room to the kitchen. She stood frozen as her eyes took in the scene and honed in on the thing that so clearly didn't belong. Her grandpa was sitting at his usual seat at the head of the small table, mumbling something to himself about sutras. Her mother stood with her back to Kagome, the yellow apron that Kagome and Souta had decorated with their handprints when they were younger as a Mother's Day gift tied to her waist. She stood beside the stove as she ladled more of her mouth-watering pancake batter onto the well-worn griddle. Souta was at the table, stuffing his face with pancakes and sitting next to _him!_

"Oh, good, you're up!" Mrs. Higurashi smiled as she turned to her daughter, "I didn't want to wake you, but I was hoping you'd be up for breakfast…plus you have a guest!"

"A guest…" Kagome responded dumbly as she stared at her mother; she refused to look at the silver-haired interloper.

"Yes," Mrs. Higurashi looked directly at Inuyasha and then at Kagome, "He said you two met a few weeks ago when you applied for a scholarship through his brother's firm!"

Kagome finally turned to face Inuyasha head on. He sat at the table with a half-eaten plate of food in front of him. He wore the same dark shirt and pants that he'd had on last night and his jaw held traces of a dark stubble. Fear and an unwanted sense of comfort collided within her as she realized that he had been somewhere nearby last night.

"Yes, Kagome," Inuyasha stepped in to fill in the spot of Kagome's confused silence, "I told your mother that I wanted to come in person to congratulate you. You've been selected to be the intern at Takahashi Law and in exchange you will be receiving a full scholarship to University."

"Takahashi Law…" Kagome continued to mumble on inanely. Takahashi Law was the most established and well regarded law firm in the country. As an aspiring law student, she had followed the career of the famous criminal defense attorney, Sesshomaru Takahashi, for the past couple of years. Wait...his brother's law firm? So that meant….Sesshomaru was his brother! She had unknowingly hopped into bed with a Takahashi—a member of Japan's most elite family!

She recalled watching an interview on TV a few months back, where Sesshomaru was asked why he decided to practice law. The female reporter had asked the stoic demon if he practiced it because it was his passion. The demon had given the petite reporter a haughty look before saying that he was a defense attorney because it was a useful profession considering the family he belonged to. When asked to elaborate, he said "Maybe you should ask my brother." It was not a secret that the wealthy lawyer's younger half-brother was the leader of one of Tokyo's largest gangs.

_"So where are we going?"_

_"This new club called Shikon." _

_"Hey, isn't that the new club that is said to be owned by the White Dog gang?" _

_"Ladies, my name is Miroku Hoshi and this is my best friend and owner of the Shikon Club, Inuyasha Takahashi."_

Kagome wanted to bang her head against the wall as she realized the grievous error she had made that night. Had she really been so focused on desire that she had been unable to see the very clear connections in front of her? So much for wanting to be a successful lawyer.

And how had Inuyasha known about her aspirations about becoming a lawyer anyways? She had certainly never applied for any internship and she would bet her left foot that one didn't even exist. She wasn't even enrolled in University, for pre-law or otherwise. Her family hadn't been able to afford it and the scholarships she had been offered only covered enough to get her through community college. She had rationalized her dreams away months ago, planning to go into early childhood education. Something where she could have weekends and summers off so that she and Koga could raise a family.

"Kagome? Are you all right, honey?"

Kagome snapped back into the present to realize that everyone (save Souta, who was too busy helping himself to another serving of pancakes) had their eyes on her.

"I'm great, Mama," She quickly masked her face with a smile, "I had forgotten all about the internship, actually. I had figured it was a long shot." She realized perpetuating Inuyasha's lie was easier than having to explain the real reason he was there.

"I'm so unbelievably proud of you, Kagome!" Her mom ran over to envelope her in a warm hug, "My little girl's going to be a lawyer!" Over her mom's petite shoulders, she made eye contact with Inuyasha. He smiled and shrugged. She narrowed her eyes—he had a hell of a lot of explaining to do.

"We just need to have Kagome come down to the office today to fill out all the final paperwork," Inuyasha sated as Mrs. Higurashi released her daughter and went back to the stove, "I thought I would drive her there myself after breakfast if that was alright."

"Of course!" her mom replied before Kagome could even open her mouth, "Honey, sit down and eat your breakfast. Let's not make this gentlemen wait any longer than he already has!"

"Don't worry, Mrs. Higurashi, it's been a pleasure," Inuyasha said between sips of his coffee, "If not for the delay I would never had been able to have any of these exceptional pancakes." Kagome went to sit in the seat across from her "guest" and her jaw nearly fell to the floor when she heard her mother giggle like a teenage girl.

If someone were to ask her what she thought hell was like…this was it.

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Inuyasha's inner-demon was rumbling with satisfaction as he pulled out into Tokyo traffic with his mate riding shotgun. He chanced a quick glance over at Kagome when paused at a red light. She was in the prettiest peach colored dress that complimented her fair skin and drove him mad with wild fantasies. He could just imagine her sprawled across his bed, naked from head to toe as he covered her in peaches and sweet whipped cream. She would squirm in delight at the cold touch of the delicacies before breaking out into the sexy as hell mewling sound he had the immense pleasure of knowing she made when his tongue would start lapping at the sweet delights and her even sweeter skin.

"Inuyasha! Green means GOOOO!" The hanyou's ears folded back against his head in discomfort and a snarl appeared on his face as he turned his eyes back to the road and continued the drive.

"Fuck, woman," he shouted back, "You didn't have to fucking shout!" He could feel his mate's anger resonate within his own body and he could anticipate the retort before it even came.

"Well, if you'd keep your eyes on the road, rather than on me, we wouldn't have this problem," Kagome hissed before mumbling "pervert" under her breath. Inuyasha wanted to attack back, preferring verbal sparring to any awkward silence between them, but the words died on his lips when he noticed the blush staining the infuriatingly sexy woman's cheeks.

Sniffing the air, Inuyasha was hard as a diamond within seconds when he picked up on his mate's arousal. His hands clenched the steering wheel as he reminded himself that he couldn't just pull over to the side of the road and fuck her senseless like his demon was telling him he had every right to do. At the moment, he thanked the kamis that he had followed his dad's advice and splurged on a car built to withstand a demon's….temperament.

"Did you sleep well?" Too late Inuyasha realized his mistake in trying to change the subject. Kagome turned in her seat to face him—her eyes narrowed her mouth drawn in a tight frown.

"Where did you sleep last night?"

'_Not in my bed, with my body wrapped around yours and my cock buried deep inside you like I should've been, bitch'. _"What do you mean?"

"I didn't stutter," Kagome's hands began to knot themselves in the skirt of her dress, drawing the material up higher on her thighs and making Inuyasha deeply rethink his rule of not pulling over and bending her over the hood of his car.

"If you don't want to be my mate in every sense of the word, Kagome, then don't nag me like one." _Good one man! Put her in her place_, his inner alpha cheered.

"Stalking's illegal, Inuyasha," Kagome growled nearly as well as he did, "You should keep that in mind."

"Keh." _Oh Fuck._

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A woman stood just on the other side of the elevator to greet them as it opened to the top floor of Takahashi Tower.

"Welcome to Takahashi…oh hey, Yashie," the receptionist grinned like she was the cat who ate the canary as she recognized one out of two of her guests, "haven't seen you around in a while. I was worried you had forgotten this was here."

Kagome stood in stunned silence as the woman runway walked over to the hanyou to kiss him on the cheek. Irrationally, she felt the overwhelming desire to claw this demoness's magenta eyes out. Then stomp on them. Then set them on fire. Maybe after that, she'd shoot the ashes off into space…just to be thorough.

"Hey, Kagura," Inuyasha gave her the same panty-incinerating smile he had given her at the club that night as he pulled out a handkerchief from his back pocket to wipe at the whorish-red lipstick stain now offending his cheek, "Is Sessh free? I wanted him to meet someone."

The statuesque woman seemed to finally realize that Kagome was a living breathing organism in the room and not merely an inanimate object. She glanced down at Kagome's cheap dress, worn denim jacket, and bargain bin flip-flops and suddenly the human girl wished she had taken a little more care with her appearance. She had never felt anything less than neat and feminine, but compared to his fashion-forward corporate shark she felt like a greasy truck driver.

"Well…your brother is a _very_ busy man, Yashie," She purred as she completely dismissed a now fuming Kagome and ran one neatly manicured claw down the half-demon's cheek, "and he did promise me a lunch date. Maybe you should reschedule…"

"Kagura."

Kagome, like the two demons in the room, turned to the voice of the new addition to the room. Kagome's heart pounded so loud that she could hear it in her ears as she watched Sesshomaru Takahashi step into the reception area. Having watched countless TV interviews and televised court cases, Kagome had been able to infer long ago that the youkai had a powerful presence, but she could have never guessed that presence would be so all-consuming. It felt as if all of the oxygen in the room had been eliminated and if you were to earn it back or not depended on this one creature's approval. The combination of fear and awe that Kagome experienced was something she had never encountered before and hoped to never experience again.

The famous defense attorney stood tall in a navy blue suit with a crisp white shirt accenting the gold satin tie her wore around his neck. His hair, more silvery blue than Inuyasha's pure white, fell to well past his hips in a nearly straight line. His eyes were the only thing that proclaimed him Inuyasha's brother. They were just a vibrantly gold, although they lacked the half-demon's stimulating warmth and passion.

"Sesshy," Kagura purred and began to sway towards him, only to be halted by one raised eyebrow in her direction.

"Don't you have some work to attend to, Miss Kaze?"

"But…I thought…" Kagome couldn't help but be internally dancing with glee as she saw the intimidating woman falter.

"Don't make me regret hiring you, Miss Kaze. I should hate to have to waste my valuable time searching for a replacement. Inuyasha, why don't you and Miss Higurashi follow me?"

Kagome only started moving when she felt Inuyasha nudged her gently to follow his brother down the hallway. She continued along in stunned silence and barely registered the fact that she followed the two larger-than-life men into what she assumed was Sesshomaru's office and was seated in a white leather chair in front of the youkai's humongous desk. She felt the slightest pressure of Inuyasha's hand on her shoulder from where he stood behind her. She couldn't even aknowledge the touch because she was too focused on the cold silver eyes that were currently staring her down from across the desk.

"Well, Miss Higurashi," Sesshomaru began in a deep monotone, "welcome to the Takahashi Firm. For the next four years, you will be working here as the firm's intern in the hopes that you will be molded into a successful lawyer. In return for your hard work and loyalty, your place in University will be paid for in full."

Kagome couldn't think of what to say and looked up to Inuyasha, who nodded and smiled to her in encouragement. Her gaze fell back to Sesshomaru to find him watching the interaction between her and his brother. His eyes crinkled in the slightest display of emotion and he released a smirk that paled in comparison to Inuyasha's

"Congratulations, Miss Higurashi," the youkai chuckled, "On all of your achievements."

Why did she get the impression he wasn't talking solely about the internship?

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**A/N: Another chapter down…and plenty more to go! This one was short and not lemon-filled, but definitely necessary for moving the plot along. I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out and I like seeing the struggle Kagome is going through…it's only going to last a little while longer before she caves!**

**So as always, please leave me a review if you liked it or have any questions/concerns! I enjoy hearing from you all. I will be updating DTYP within the next couple of days and the next chapter of this story should be up in no more than a week from now.**

**Until then!**

**Kameko-chan**


	5. Office Mayhem

**A/N: Gah! I am so sorry it took so long to get this chapter out! I hope you enjoy this chapter and please leave a review if you have the time! **

_Recap:_

_"Well, Miss Higurashi," Sesshomaru began in a deep monotone, "welcome to the Takahashi Firm. For the next four years, you will be working here as the firm's intern in the hopes that you will be molded into a successful lawyer. In return for your hard work and loyalty, your place in University will be paid for in full."_

_Kagome couldn't think of what to say and looked up to Inuyasha, who nodded and smiled to her in encouragement. Her gaze fell back to Sesshomaru to find him watching the interaction between her and his brother. His eyes crinkled in the slightest display of emotion and he released a smirk that paled in comparison to Inuyasha's_

_"Congratulations, Miss Higurashi," the youkai chuckled, "On all of your achievements."_

_Why did she get the impression he wasn't talking solely about the internship?_

_End Recap._

**Chapter 5: Office Mayhem**

"An internship?"

"Yep…with a full scholarship to university. And a job offer on completion of my degree."

"Holy Shitcakes."

Kagome nodded as she sat in the corner table of a local coffee shop, in a booth across from Sango and Shia. Kagome was dressed in a worn University sweatshirt and a pair of yoga pants. Her dark hair was up in a messy bun. There were dark circles under her eyes—a sign that her body was getting tired from having to maintain the barrier hiding her newly-mated status from the world. Meanwhile, both Shia and Sango looked young and fresh—Shia in a royal blue maxi dress and Sango in white capris and a pink thick-strapped tank top.

"I'll say this again," Shia said in awe, "HOLY SHITCAKES!"

"Shhhh!" Sango hissed and Kagome couldn't help but let out an embarrassed laugh as a little old woman at a table near them looked over in disapproval.

"So," Sango turned back to Kagome after giving Shia a light smack across the back of the head, "Did you take the offer?" Kagome paused before answering. She still wasn't sure if she made the right decision and she knew that her friends' opinions would either boost her confidence or crush her.

"I…did." The silence at the table was broken by the sound of a duck quacking. Pulling her phone out of her purse, Shia sighed and hit ignore.

"Who was that?" Kagome asked as Shia tucked the phone back into her bag. Shia shrugged and mumbled in response. Sango focused on stirring her spoon around and around in her coffee, her gaze focused out the window.

"Shia?"

"Saiya's been calling to check in," Shia murmured loud enough for Kagome to hear that time, "it's not my place to tell him what's going on. It's your business."

Saiya was Shia's twin brother. He was older by two and a half minutes and it showed in his mature, care-taking personality. He was the fourth member of their little group of friends. He had graduated early a year ago and was finishing up a semester abroad in America.

"So you pick up the phone and talk about stupid stuff like the weather!" Kagome hissed. Sango nodded and lightly jabbed her elbow into Shia's side.

"See?" Sango said, "I said the same thing! Now he's going to be really suspicious and he'll know something's wrong!"

"I can't lie to him!" Shia defended, "You guys know that! All he'd have to say is 'what's up?' and I'd being spilling the beans!" Shia's purse gave off a high pitched ping.

"Play it," Sango said and Shia sighed as she pulled her phone back out. Putting it on speaker phone, she placed the phone in the middle of the table and the three girls all leaned forward.

"Hey, Sis," Saiya's voice seemed to be an instant balm for the three girls, making all of their tense shoulders relax. The young man had been their constant champion and protector and the semester without him had been rough.

"So I don't know why you've been ignoring my calls," his voice continued, "I can only imagine what you and the girls have gotten yourselves into without me there. I'm just walking out from my last final exam. I'm calling to let you know that I've booked a flight for later this evening and I should be home around this time tomorrow. That should be plenty of time to get a decent alibi together. Love ya, Sis. Bye."

"Holy Shitcakes," all three of the girls said at once, their eyes wide as they looked at the phone in fear.

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Inuyasha sat behind his desk in his office at Shikon, running his clawed fingers over a map of the city that was displayed across the dark wood desk. There were purple "X's" drawn over a handful of spots across the city, one freshly drawn last night.

"So what the hell happened exactly?" Inuyasha asked as he stared at that new X, his jaw clenching in anger.

"Naraku's gang overtook a couple of warehouses down by the harbor," Miroku said from where he stood looking out the window that overlooked the now empty bar below. He watched as a couple of the waitresses chatted animatedly. One of the girls, a new waitress named Nara leaned over the bar, her nicely rounded ass covered by tiny black shorts lifting in the air. Miroku looked on dispassionately, his once playboy-esque mind thinking only of the strong-willed woman he had met a few nights ago.

'_Sango…' _ The tall, strong beauty he had met the same night Inuyasha had met his mate had taken over his brain and she was all he could seem to think about. Even now, his hands itched to reach out and stroke the body he had only been able to caress with his eyes.

"Fuck," Inuyasha growled, snapping Miroku out of his sensual reverie, "He's getting closer to having us completely surrounded." Miroku turned to look to his friend and leader, nodding in agreement. Naraku Onigumo, leader of the rival gang, the Spiders, had a personal vendetta against Inuyasha and was determined to see it end in one of them dead. Miroku wasn't exactly sure what it was all about, this animosity between these two hanyou's, but he did know it wasn't something to take lightly.

"He has access to the waterways," Miroku said as he walked over to sit down in one of the chairs across from Inuyasha's desk, "You know what that means don't you?"

"Your enemy is breaking into the world of arms dealing, little brother," Sesshomaru answered Miroku's question as he stepped into the office, looking very out of place in a dark pin-striped suit, crisp white shirt and silver-blue tie.

"You think I hadn't already realized that?!" Inuyasha slammed his fist down onto his desk, reinforced wood cracking under the pressure.

"I just wanted to ensure that you were aware of the severity of Naraku's latest move," Sesshomaru raised on perfectly shaped eyebrow at Inuyasha as he took the seat beside Miroku, "A final showdown is on the horizon, Inuyasha, and you need to be prepared for it."

Inuyasha nodded, running his hands through his long hair in frustration. His brother was right, the final battle with Naraku was looming ever closer and it could only be the true end if one of both of them were dead.

'_That spider is going to be the one dead' he thought to himself as Sesshomaru and Miroku discussed strategies, 'I'll squish the little bastard beneath my boots.'_

"So what brings you here at this time of the morning, Sesshomaru?" Miroku asked while Inuyasha was caught up in his own thoughts.

"I just wanted to remind Inuyasha that today is Miss Higurashi's first day as an intern at my firm," Sesshomaru responded as he straightened his tie. At the mention of his mate, Inuyasha returned to the conversation and frowned Miroku burst out laughing.

"What the hell is so funny, Houshi?"

"I just can't believe how presumptuous you are, Yash. Damn, man. Although," Miroku chuckled as he wiped at his watery eyes, "After being your friend for so long I guess I shouldn't be so surprised."

"Keh." Out of the corner of his eye, Inuyasha saw his brother's shoulders stiffen, putting him on high alert.

"Brace yourself, Pup," Sesshomaru warned as the door to the office suddenly burst open. Inuyasha's eyes widened as he watched his mother storm into the room, with his father trailing casually in behind her. The beautiful older woman's eyes were narrowed in anger, making the three young men in the room cower in fear and trepidation.

"How dare you?!" Izayoi shouted, pointing directly at her son. Inuyasha looked around his mother to make eye contact with his father, who only shrugged.

"Sorry son," Inutaisho offered a small smile in apology.

"Don't you apologize to him," Izayoi hissed as she turned to her husband, "You should be apologizing to me, not him!"

"Oh I will, koibito," Inutaisho flashed his wife his most charming smile, a trait he had passed along to his youngest son, in the hopes of appeasing her.

"Awkward," Miroku mumbled in response and Sesshomaru smacked him upside the head to get him to shut up.

"Mom, what the hell are you talking about?" Inuyasha asked, redirecting his mother's attention back to him.

"I'm talking about the fact that I had to find out from your father that your scent had changed and mingled with a woman's," Izayoi shouted, "and not just any woman's…but your mate's!"

"Shit," Inuyasha, Miroku, and Sesshomaru all whispered, but not quietly enough to escape from earning another disapproving look from the Takahashi matriarch.

"You have a whole lot of explaining to do, Inuyasha," She again pointed her finger directly at her son while her eyes began to well up with tears, "I can't for the life of me understand why you would hide something like this from me…"

Inuyasha's ears flattened against his skull and his eyes darkened. He hated seeing women cry and it being his mother made everything worse. Combine that with the fact that she was crying over something he did and he felt as if the world was ending.

"Mama," Inuyasha stood and moved to embrace his mother, "I'm sorry. It's a long story. I was going to tell you once I had everything figured out…I'm…damnitt…I'm really sorry…"

"I believe this is my cue to leave," Sesshomaru stood and straightened his suit, "Miroku? Why don't we continue our discussion on my way out…"

As the two men stood to slip out of the room, Izayoi pulled away from her son to glare at her stepson and Inuyasha's best friend. She considered both of them her sons and she had no problem reprimanding them like a mother would.

"I'll deal with you two later."

"Yes, ma'm," Miroku mumbled. Sesshomaru scoffed, but still managed to increase his pace out of the room.

"So," Inutaisho laughed as he moved to sit at Inuyasha's desk, "Why don't you tell us about this mate of yours and why you haven't thought to bring her home to meet us."

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"Good Morning, Miss Higurashi."

Kagome looked up from the coffee can that she was currently scooping grounds out of and placing in the machine to see Sesshomaru Takahashi leaning against the counter of the top floor breakroom of the top floor of the intimidating skyscraper.

"Oh, Mr. Takahashi," Kagome turned from the coffee machine to give her new boss and mentor a respectful bow before returning, "Good morning, Sir. I thought I'd get some coffee started. I came in earlier this morning and well, you weren't here and your…receptionist wasn't sure what to do with me. It seems you've never had an intern in the practice before. So I cleaned the breakroom and now I'm making coffee. I can't stand to just not do anything, you know?"

"Miss Higurashi…"

"Oh, Sorry," Kagome blushed when she realized she had been rambling, "I'm just…this is really awkward. I know you're only doing this because of…"

"Make no mistake, Miss Higurashi," Sesshomaru said sternly, "Inuyasha is my brother. He is pack. I look out for him, but I would in no way let his sexual preferences dictate the way my company is run. You are here because your academics merit you be here. Never forget that."

Kagome stood there in stunned silence as Sesshomaru turned to leave the room. Just before disappearing out of sight, looked back over his shoulder and gave her a smirk that was devastatingly handsome but had in no way the same effect his brother's had on her mind and body.

"I'll take a cup of coffee in my office when you have it ready. Black."

Before Kagome could even catch a breath and returning to get the pot of coffee going, Sesshomaru's receptionist came whirling into the room. The wind demon towered over Kagome in high black kitten heels. Her pink blouse was tighter than Kagome would consider appropriate or comfortable for a day at the office and her black pencil skirt was no better. All of it was accented with clunky jade jewelry and her earring clanked together as the woman's head shook with barely contained rage.

"What the fuck was he doing in here?" Kagura hissed and the profanity from a relative stranger made Kagome cringe.

"I…what?"

"Sesshomaru! He doesn't ever bother coming into the breakroom. He must have had a reason for coming in here this morning. I can only assume it's because of his new 'intern'." The way she said the word intern, with all of the nasty sexual implications packed into it, made Kagome clench her fist.

"Well you know what they say about assuming…" Kagome hissed before hitting start on the coffee machine and turning to watch the hot liquid drip slowly into the machine, giving Kagura a clear dismissal. The wind demon's heels began clacking on the wood floors as she retreated, making Kagome's shoulders sag in relief.

"Go ahead and spread your legs for him all you want, intern, but I'll always be his favorite."

'_What have I gotten myself into?' _Kagome thought as she continued to watch the coffee pot.

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"Well if it isn't my second favorite, Takahashi!"

"Hey, Kagura."

Kagome looked up from the letter Sesshomaru had asked her to type up thanking a client for the use of his house in the Caribbean the month before to see Inuyasha having stepped off of the elevator. For a moment while he chatted with the receptionist-from-hell, Kagome took the time to look at him and subconsciously admire the view.

He was dressed in a pair of dark wash jeans that clung to his body in all the right places that Kagome couldn't help but notice turned more than a few female heads. His shirt was a soft white button down that had a faded pattern that looked almost like a tattoo woven into the fabric in a light silver color. His long white hair was pulled back in a low ponytail and his dog ears flicked around as they picked up on all the sounds of the busy office.

"Are you here to see Sesshomaru?" Kagura asked sweetly, making Kagome want to vomit, preferably all over the catty woman, "He's with a client, so if you wanted to wait out here with me…"

"Actually," Inuyasha looked over to where Kagome sat and when his gaze caught hers, he gave her that smirk that managed to take her breath away and melt her insides all at once, "I'm here to see if I can steal Kagome away for a lunch date."

"YES!" Kagome stood and responded a little too loudly and eagerly for someone who was determined to break things off with the hanyou, but then again, she had to get away from Kagura for a while. Inuyasha chuckled and held out his hand for her, causing Kagura to frown. She grabbed her purse from under her desk and nearly tripped in her sensible heels as she rushed to his side. She was so excited to get out of the office, she even allowed Inuyasha to place one arm around her shoulders and didn't even flinch or shrug away when he kissed the top of her head. She let Inuyasha lead her to the elevator and as the doors closed, she stuck her tongue out at a glaring Kagura in defiance.

"Rough day?" Inuyasha chuckled as he pulled her body closer, one claw running rhythmically over the skin of her arm right below the sleeve of her white satin top.

"Kagura's a bitch," she mumbled, not really intending for Inuyasha to hear her. Inuyasha growled, causing Kagome's head to shoot up to look at him. She watched in trepidation as his eyes flashed red for a moment and his jaw ticked.

"Did she do something to hurt you, mate?" Kagome shivered at what he called her. She wanted to rebel against the title, but even from beneath her barrier, her mark warmed at the word. She had to pick her battles and this wasn't one of them.

"No, it's nothing," Kagome tried to laugh it off and supplied him with a false smile, "just office drama."

Before Kagome could even realize what was happening, her back was up against the back elevator wall. Her feet were dangling from the ground and her ass was resting on the hand railing, the cold metal burning her through her black dress pants. Inuyasha buried his face into her neck, where her mark was visible now only to him.

"Don't lie to me, bitch," Inuyasha's breath caressed the raised skin, causing her to shiver despite the fact that she now felt warm in many sundry places.

"I'm not lying, Inuyasha…" God was that her own voice that sounded so breathy and needy?

"Liar," he insisted and Kagome could hear the smile in his voice, "Lying is a punishable offense between mates, Kagome. Are you sure you don't want to change your answer?"

"No?" She clenched her thighs together to try and ease the throbbing ache that having his body so close was causing.

"Good," he whispered before clamping his fangs down on her neck, piercing her mate mark all over again. Kagome screamed out in pleasure as an orgasm took over her body and she was lost to the feel of Inuyasha's claim over her.

Just as Inuyasha reached for the buttons on Kagome's pants, his back pocket started vibrating. Withdrawing from her neck, he licked his lips and cursed under his breath at the interruption. Reaching for the phone without releasing his grip on the now panting Kagome, he hit speaker.

"Whoever this is better have a real fucking good excuse for calling me right now…" he threatened as he looked into Kagome's startled eyes.

"I just wanted to warn you that if you have any respect for Miss Higurashi that you will refrain from giving my security team any more of a show," Sesshomaru's voice reprimanded.

"OH MY GOD!" Kagome screeched and shoved at Inuyasha.

"Oi, Bitch, what have I said about the shouting!" He growled before glaring at the offensive phone in his hand, "You're dead, Fluffy."

"Just have her back here in an hour, Pup. She may be your mate, but she's _my_ intern." The line went dead and Inuyasha shoved his phone back into his pocket, resisting the very powerful urge to rip the device to pieces. The only thing that distracted him from his murderous thoughts were the ridiculous ramblings he picked up on from his mate.

"I might as well be doing porn," she whispered, "that's pretty much what we were doing with those cameras around. Oh my god, what if they don't erase it? They could be rewinding it to watch it again as we speak…I'm going to have to see the security guys every day. I can't…"

"Kagome…"

"This is a nightmare. I should have never taken this job. I shouldn't have gone to that club. This never would have happened and I wouldn't have gotten mixed up in porn!"

"Oi, Kagome, calm down," Inuyasha reached out to touch her and she stepped away from him, causing him to growl.

"I want out, Inuyasha," she pleaded as her wide eyes locked onto his, "please. This isn't me. I'm not the worldly type. I'm not into PDA…even handholding in public makes me uncomfortable. Please, just let me go."

Inuyasha slowly moved towards her, as if she were a frightened animal. He gently wrapped his arms around her and she collapsed against his chest. He cringed as, for the second time that day, a woman cared about cried because of his actions.

"I'm not a good person, Kagome," he whispered into her hair, taking comfort in the dark silky strands brushing up against his lips, "I swear and party too much. I'm quick to anger and I usually use violence and force to solve my problems. I have a reputation that even the devil wouldn't want. I'm also an addict—I'm addicted to you. I have been since the moment you stepped into the VIP lounge. That first dance, that first kiss…it was like my first snuff. If I were a better person, I would let you go and get help to move on with my life. But I'm not. I'm selfish to the core and that means I can't let you go. I won't."

Kagome remained in his embrace as the words sank in. It hurt, to be cherished this much when the man who did the cherishing wasn't the one you knew you should want. As the elevator slowed to a halt as it neared the basement level of the parking garage, Kagome realized that the day would come when she would have to walk away and that not only would it destroy this imperfect stranger, but it very well could destroy her.

**A/N: Dun, Dun, Dun! So as you can see, Kagome is slowly caving into Inuyasha. She still obviously has a long way to go, because other than attraction and mating instincts, the two know nothing about each other. There's also the issue of Koga. He'll be back in the next chapter to cause some mayhem!**

**I decided I LOVED Sesshomaru in this chapter. I am not a Fluffly fanatic and am most certainly Team Inu. However, I like Sesshomaru's character in this story and have decided that after this story is completed (which is not happening for another couple of months I think), I am going to write Sesshomaru's story based in the same storyline. I've already got some notes for it and I'm very excited!**

**Anyways, as always, please leave me reviews! I love hearing from you guys. In the meantime, I'm going to work on the next chapter of DTYP and also try and get some work done on my own book. Check in on my profile page for update information and I'll see you guys next time!**

**Blessed Be**

**Kameko**


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